dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaUntying molecular friction knots
| Authors | Serdal Kirmizialtin, Dmitrii E. Makarov |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0612034 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0612034 |
Abstract
Motivated by recent advances in single molecule manipulation techniques that enabled several groups to tie knots in individual polymer strands and to monitor their dynamics, we have used computer simulations to study "friction knots" joining a pair of polymer strands. The key property of a friction knot splicing two ropes is that it becomes jammed when the ropes are pulled apart. In contrast, molecular friction knots eventually become undone by thermal motion. We show that depending on the knot type and on the polymer structure, a friction knot between polymer strands can be strong (the time t the knot stays tied increases with the force F applied to separate the strands) or weak (t decreases with increasing F). We further present a simple model explaining these behaviors.
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"abstract": "Motivated by recent advances in single molecule manipulation techniques that\nenabled several groups to tie knots in individual polymer strands and to\nmonitor their dynamics, we have used computer simulations to study \"friction\nknots\" joining a pair of polymer strands. The key property of a friction knot\nsplicing two ropes is that it becomes jammed when the ropes are pulled apart.\nIn contrast, molecular friction knots eventually become undone by thermal\nmotion. We show that depending on the knot type and on the polymer structure, a\nfriction knot between polymer strands can be strong (the time t the knot stays\ntied increases with the force F applied to separate the strands) or weak (t\ndecreases with increasing F). We further present a simple model explaining\nthese behaviors.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0612034",
"authors": [
"Serdal Kirmizialtin",
"Dmitrii E. Makarov"
],
"categories": [
"physics.bio-ph",
"cond-mat.soft",
"physics.chem-ph"
],
"title": "Untying molecular friction knots",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0612034"
},
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