Marginally compact phase and ordered ground states in a model polymer with side spheres
arXiv:2106.07829 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.104.L012501
Abstract
We present the results of a quantitative study of the phase behavior of a model polymer chain with side spheres using two independent computer simulation techniques. We find that the mere addition of side spheres results in key modifications of standard polymer behavior. One obtains a novel marginally compact phase at low temperatures, the structures in this phase are reduced in dimensionality and are ordered, they include strands assembled into sheets and a variety of helices, and at least one of the transitions on lowering the temperature to access these ordered states is found to be first order. Our model serves to partially bridge conventional polymer phases with biomolecular phases.
arXiv comment15 pages; 5 figures
References in corpus (8)
- An efficient, multiple range random walk algorithm to calculate the density of states
- The Geometry of Soft Materials: A Primer
- Effective stiffness and formation of secondary structures in a protein-like model
- First-principles design of nanomachines
- Building blocks of protein structures -- Physics meets Biology
- Chain stiffness bridges conventional polymer and bio-molecular phases}
- The elixir phase of chain molecule
- Local symmetry determines the phases of linear chains: a simple model for the self-assembly of peptide