title: Relaxation of stretched DNA in slitlike confinement.
abstract: We experimentally observe two separate time scales governing the entropic recoil in the linear force-extension regime of single double-stranded DNA in slit confinement. We demonstrate the existence of two distinct relaxation regimes at different extensions during relaxation. Contrary to bulk measurements, the true longest relaxation time may only be probed very close to equilibrium. A simple model of the relaxation mechanism leads to a scaling analysis that correctly predicts the extension at the crossover between the two regimes.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Doyle
mesh_terms: D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D007700:Kinetics; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral