Force-Extension Relations for Polymers with Sliding Links
arXiv:cond-mat/0206057 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.66.022102
Abstract
Topological entanglements in polymers are mimicked by sliding rings (slip-links) which enforce pair contacts between monomers. We study the force-extension curve for linear polymers in which slip-links create additional loops of variable size. For a single loop in a phantom chain, we obtain exact expressions for the average end-to-end separation: The linear response to a small force is related to the properties of the unstressed chain, while for a large force the polymer backbone can be treated as a sequence of Pincus--de Gennes blobs, the constraint effecting only a single blob. Generalizing this picture, scaling arguments are used to include self-avoiding effects.
4 pages, 5 figures; accepted to Phys. Rev. E (Brief Report)
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