The physics of active polymers and filaments
Roland G Winkler1, Gerhard Gompper1
1Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, D-52425 Jülich, Germany.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|August 6, 2020
Summary
Active polymers, unlike equilibrium systems, display unique behaviors due to self-propulsion. Their properties emerge from the interplay between activity and their structure, influencing biological and artificial systems.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Soft Matter
- Biophysics
Background:
- Active matter systems harness energy for motion and force, exhibiting non-equilibrium phenomena like motility-induced phase separation.
- Bound active agents, such as active polymers, show complex behaviors arising from the interplay of activity and conformational dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the theoretical models and emergent properties of active polymers and filaments.
- To investigate the influence of activity-conformation coupling and hydrodynamic interactions on polymer behavior.
Main Methods:
- Presentation of theoretical models for self-propelled and active-bath-driven polymers.
- Examination of conformational and dynamical properties, considering steric and hydrodynamic interactions.
Main Results:
- Activity-driven polymers exhibit novel structural and dynamical features distinct from equilibrium polymers.
- The coupling between activity and hydrodynamic interactions significantly influences polymer properties.
- Semi-dilute systems show emergent phenomena driven by steric and hydrodynamic interactions.
Conclusions:
- Active polymers represent a crucial class of out-of-equilibrium systems with implications for biological and synthetic matter.
- Understanding the coupling between activity and conformational dynamics is key to predicting active polymer behavior.
- Further theoretical exploration is needed for unexplored aspects and future challenges in active polymer research.
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