Fluctuating elastic rings: Statics and dynamics

Sergey Panyukov and Yitzhak Rabin
Phys. Rev. E 64, 011909 – Published 20 June 2001
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Abstract

We study the effects of thermal fluctuations on elastic rings. Analytical expressions are derived for correlation functions of Euler angles, mean-square distance between points on the ring contour, radius of gyration, and probability distribution of writhe fluctuations. Since fluctuation amplitudes diverge in the limit of vanishing twist rigidity, twist elasticity is essential for the description of fluctuating rings. We discover a crossover from a small scale regime in which the filament behaves as a straight rod, to a large scale regime in which spontaneous curvature is important and twist rigidity affects the spatial configurations of the ring. The fluctuation-dissipation relation between correlation functions of Euler angles and response functions, is used to study the deformation of the ring by external forces. The effects of inertia and dissipation on the relaxation of temporal correlations of writhe fluctuations, are analyzed using Langevin dynamics.

  • Received 13 November 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.64.011909

©2001 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Sergey Panyukov* and Yitzhak Rabin

  • Department of Physics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900, Israel

  • *Permanent address: Theoretical Department, Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117924, Russia; electronic address: panyukov@lpi.ac.ru
  • Electronic address: yr@rabinws.ph.biu.ac.il

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Vol. 64, Iss. 1 — July 2001

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