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The European Physical Journal B
ISSN: 1434-6028 (printed version)
ISSN: 1434-6036 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 3 Issue 2 (1998) pp 237-245
Field-induced winding of chiral polymers
P.I.C. Teixeira, E.M. Terentjev (a)
Cavendish Laboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
Received: 15 November 1997 / Accepted: 16 February 1998
Abstract: We propose a microscopic model of a chiral polymer chain with permanent transverse dipoles interacting with an external electric field. Its behaviour has been investigated by computer simulation in the limit of weak chirality. Large-scale (tertiary) helical winding induced along the field direction has been found above a threshold field Ec, and the helix parameters have been calculated as functions of the field strength. Below Ec there is no coherent helical structure of the chain conformation. We find a characteristic scaling of the threshold and the winding radius a with the chain bending modulus $\varepsilon$, $(E_c/k_{\rm B}T) \sim \varepsilon^{1/4}$ and $a \sim (k_{\rm B}T/E)\varepsilon$.
PACS. 61.20.Ja Computer simulation of liquid structure - 36.20.-r Macromolecules and polymer molecules - 87.15.By Structure, bonding, conformation, configuration, and isomerism of biomolecules
(a) email: emt1000@cus.cam.ac.uk
Article in PDF-Format (491 KB)
Online publication: July 9, 1998
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