Discretized knot motion on a tensioned fiber induced by transverse waves.
Topological entanglement is a ubiquitous feature of many biological as well as artificial polymers and fibers. While the equilibrium properties of entangled chains have been the subject of several studies, little is known about their out-of-equilibrium behavior. Here, we address the problem of a stretched knotted fiber driven by a periodic force applied to one of its termini. We show that the onset of standing waves kinetically traps the knot in spatially localized states where the amplitude of the oscillations is maximal, while the knot normal diffusive dynamics is replaced by a discrete jump dynamics.
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany. potestio@mpip-mainz.mpg.de.
Raffaello
R
Potestio
Luca
L
Tubiana
D008956:Models, Chemical; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D009038:Motion; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength
D011108:Polymers