Discretized knot motion on a tensioned fiber induced by transverse waves

Author(s)
Raffaello Potestio, Luca Tubiana
Abstract

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.

Organisation(s)
Computational and Soft Matter Physics
External organisation(s)
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS)
Journal
Soft Matter
Volume
12
Pages
669-673
No. of pages
5
ISSN
1744-683X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/c5sm01766a
Publication date
2016
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
106006 Biophysics, 103023 Polymer physics, 103018 Materials physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Condensed Matter Physics, General Chemistry
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/fa273988-f162-4701-829a-ba79d7677769