Tension dynamics in semiflexible polymers. II. Scaling solutions and applications.
In part I [O. Hallatschek, preceding paper, Phys. Rev. E 75, 031905 (2007)] of this contribution, a systematic coarse-grained description of the dynamics of a weakly bending semiflexible polymer was developed. Here, we discuss analytical solutions of the established deterministic partial integro-differential equation for the spatiotemporal relaxation of the backbone tension. For prototypal experimental situations, such as the sudden application or release of a strong external pulling force, it is demonstrated that the tensile dynamics reflects the self-affine conformational fluctuation spectrum in a variety of intermediate asymptotic power laws. Detailed and explicit analytical predictions for the tension propagation and relaxation and corresponding results for common observables, such as the end-to-end distance, are obtained.
Hallatschek
Oskar
O
Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. ohallats@fas.harvard.edu
Frey
Erwin
E
Kroy
Klaus
K
D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009038:Motion; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength
D001704:Biopolymers; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins