Eur. Phys. J. E 24, 185-191 (2007)
DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2007-10228-x

Fluctuating semiflexible polymer ribbon constrained to a ring

K. Alim and E. Frey

Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstrasse 37, D-80333, München, Germany

karen.alim@physik.lmu.de

(Received 31 July 2007 / Published online 9 November 2007)

Abstract

Twist stiffness and an asymmetric bending stiffness of a polymer or a polymer bundle is captured by the elastic ribbon model. We investigate the effects a ring geometry induces to a thermally fluctuating ribbon, finding bend-bend coupling in addition to twist-bend coupling. Furthermore, due to the geometric constraint the polymer's effective bending stiffness increases. A new parameter for experimental investigations of polymer bundles is proposed: the mean square diameter of a ribbonlike ring, which is determined analytically in the semiflexible limit. Monte Carlo simulations are performed which affirm the model's prediction up to high flexibility.

PACS
87.15.Aa - Theory and modeling; computer simulation.
87.15.Ya - Fluctuations.
36.20.Ey - Conformation (statistics and dynamics).
05.40.-a - Fluctuation phenomena, random processes, noise, and Brownian motion.

Correspondence: karen.alim@physik.lmu.de


© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2007

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