Critical slowing down in polymer dynamics near the coil-stretch transition in elongation flow.
We present experimental results on relaxation dynamics of lambda-DNA and T4 polymer molecules toward a steady state in elongation flow. Strong critical slowing down (similar to the well-known effect in continuous phase transitions) in polymer relaxation near the coil-stretch transition (CST) is quantitatively investigated and found to be in good accord with predictions. For polymers with a small number of Kuhn segments the maximum of the relaxation time vs the strain rate provides precise information about the location of the CST and serves as its criterion.
Gerashchenko
Sergiy
S
Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Steinberg
Victor
V
D017122:Bacteriophage T4 / Q000737:chemistry; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000737:chemistry; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
D004279:DNA, Viral; D011108:Polymers