Predicting optimal lengths of random knots

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_55DA3B2D11FC
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Predicting optimal lengths of random knots
Journal
Letters in Mathematical Physics
Author(s)
Dobay A., Dubochet J., Sottas P.E., Stasiak A.
ISSN
0377-9017
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2001
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
55
Number
3
Pages
239-247
Language
english
Abstract
In a thermally fluctuating long linear polymeric chain in a solution, the ends, from time to time, approach each other. At such an instance, the chain can be regarded as closed and thus will form a knot or rather a virtual knot. Several earlier studies of random knotting demonstrated that simpler knots show a higher occurrence for shorter random walks than do more complex knots. However, up to now there have been no rules that could be used to predict the optimal length of a random walk, i.e. the length for which a given knot reaches its highest occurrence. Using numerical simulations, we show here that a power law accurately describes the relation between the optimal lengths of random walks leading to the formation of different knots and the previously characterized lengths of ideal knots of a corresponding type.
Keywords
knots, polymers, scaling laws, DNA, random walks, biophysics
Web of science
Create date
24/01/2008 11:25
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:10
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