title: How does a flexible chain of active particles swell?
abstract: We study the swelling of a flexible linear chain composed of active particles by analytical theory and computer simulation. Three different situations are considered: a free chain, a chain confined to an external harmonic trap, and a chain dragged at one end. First, we consider an ideal chain with harmonic springs and no excluded volume between the monomers. The Rouse model of polymers is generalized to the case of self-propelled monomers and solved analytically. The swelling, as characterized by the spatial extension of the chain, scales with the monomer number defining a Flory exponent ν which is ν = 1/2, 0, 1 in the three different situations. As a result, we find that activity does not change the Flory exponent but affects the prefactor of the scaling law. This can be quantitatively understood by mapping the system onto an equilibrium chain with a higher effective temperature such that the chain swells under an increase of the self-propulsion strength. We then use computer simulations to study the effect of self-avoidance on active polymer swelling. In the three different situations, the Flory exponent is now ν = 3/4, 1/4, 1 and again unchanged under self-propulsion. However, the chain extension behaves non-monotonic in the self-propulsion strength.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babel
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Borge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: ten Hagen
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Ferber
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löwen
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004548:Elasticity; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers