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What is the length of a knot in a polymer?

B. Marcone·E. Orlandini·A. L. Stella·F. Zonta
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Abstract

We give statistical definitions of the length, l, of a loose prime knot tied into a long, fluctuating ring macromolecule. Monte Carlo results for the equilibrium, good solvent regime show that < l > ~ N^t, where N is the ring length and t ~ 0.75 is independent of the knot topology. In the collapsed regime below the theta temperature, length determinations based on the entropic competition of different knots within the same ring show delocalization (t~1).

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B. Marcone, E. Orlandini, A. L. Stella, F. Zonta. 2005-01-11. What is the length of a knot in a polymer?. https://doi.org/10.1088/0305-4470%2F38%2F1%2Fl03

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