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Published on: October 25, 2017
Collapse transition of two-dimensional flexible and semiflexible polymers
Haijun Zhou1, Jie Zhou, Zhong-Can Ou-Yang
1Institute of Theoretical Physics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China.
Abstract:
The nature of the globule-coil transition of surface-confined polymers has been an issue of debate. Here this 2D collapse transition is studied through a partially directed lattice model. In the general case of polymers with positive bending stiffness (Delta>0), the collapse transition is first order; it becomes second order only in the limiting case of zero bending stiffness (Delta triple bond 0). These analytical results are confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations. We also suggest some possible future experiments.
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