Unwinding dynamics of a helically wrapped polymer Auteur(s): Walter J.-C., Baiesi Marco, Carlon Enrico, Schiessel Helmut (Article) Publié: Macromolecules, vol. 47 p.4840-4846 (2014) Texte intégral en Openaccess : Ref HAL: hal-01052685_v1 Ref Arxiv: 1403.7959 DOI: 10.1021/ma500635h WoS: 000339462900033 Ref. & Cit.: NASA ADS Exporter : BibTex | endNote 8 Citations Résumé: We study the rotational dynamics of a flexible polymer initially wrapped around a rigid rod and unwinding from it. This dynamics is of interest in several problems in biology and constitutes a fundamental instance of polymer relaxation from a state of minimal entropy. We investigate the dynamics of several quantities such as the total and local winding angles and metric quantities. The results of simulations performed in two and three dimensions, with and without self-avoidance, are explained by a theory based on scaling arguments and on a balance between frictional and entropic forces. The early stage of the dynamics is particularly rich, being characterized by three coexisting phases. |