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Viscoelasticity of solutions of motile polymers
T B Liverpool1, A C Maggs, A Ajdari
1Physico-Chimie Theorique, ESA CNRS 7083, E.S.P.C.I., 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
Physical Review Letters
|May 1, 2001
Abstract:
We explore the linear viscoelastic response of an entangled, isotropic solution of polar semiflexible polymers with active, motile centers which generate longitudinal motion. Because of the activity of these centers, the short-time modulus displays two novel power-law regimes: Initially G(t) proportional to t(-1/8), then the response is "Rouse-like" with G(t) proportional to t(-1/2). At longer times we find accelerated relaxation due to directed reptation, resulting in a reduced low frequency viscosity.