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arXiv · cond-mat/0004423

Pulling Pinned Polymers and Unzipping DNA

David K. Lubensky·David R. Nelson
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Abstract

We study a class of micromanipulation experiments, exemplified by the pulling apart of the two strands of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). When the pulling force is increased to a critical value, an ``unzipping'' transition occurs. For random DNA sequences with short-ranged correlations, we obtain exact results for the number of monomers liberated and the specific heat, including the critical behavior at the transition. Related systems include a random heteropolymer pulled away from an adsorbing surface and a vortex line in a type II superconductor tilted away from a fragmented columnar defect.

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David K. Lubensky, David R. Nelson. 2000-08-02. Pulling Pinned Polymers and Unzipping DNA. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.85.1572

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