Passage times for polymer translocation pulled through a narrow pore.
We study the passage times of a translocating polymer of length N in three dimensions, while it is pulled through a narrow pore with a constant force F applied to one end of the polymer. At small to moderate forces, satisfying the condition FN(nu)/k(B)T less, similar 1, where nu approximately 0.588 is the Flory exponent for the polymer, we find that tau(N), the mean time the polymer takes to leave the pore, scales as N(2+nu) independent of F, in agreement with our earlier result for F = 0. At strong forces, i.e., for, FN(nu)/k(B)T >> 1, the behavior of the passage time crosses over to tau(N) approximately N(2)/F. We show here that these behaviors stem from the polymer dynamics at the immediate vicinity of the pore-in particular, the memory effects in the polymer chain tension imbalance across the pore.
Panja
Debabrata
D
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. dpanja@science.uva.nl
Barkema
Gerard T
GT
D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D013997:Time Factors
D001704:Biopolymers