13,427 research outputs found
Mean-field solution of the parity-conserving kinetic phase transition in one dimension
A two-offspring branching annihilating random walk model, with finite
reaction rates, is studied in one-dimension. The model exhibits a transition
from an active to an absorbing phase, expected to belong to the
universality class embracing systems that possess two symmetric absorbing
states, which in one-dimensional systems, is in many cases equivalent to parity
conservation. The phase transition is studied analytically through a mean-field
like modification of the so-called {\it parity interval method}. The original
method of parity intervals allows for an exact analysis of the
diffusion-controlled limit of infinite reaction rate, where there is no active
phase and hence no phase transition. For finite rates, we obtain a surprisingly
good description of the transition which compares favorably with the outcome of
Monte Carlo simulations. This provides one of the first analytical attempts to
deal with the broadly studied DP2 universality class.Comment: 4 Figures. 9 Pages. revtex4. Some comments have been improve
The binding dynamics of tropomyosin on actin
We discuss a theoretical model for the cooperative binding dynamics of
tropomyosin to actin filaments. Tropomyosin binds to actin by occupying seven
consecutive monomers. The model includes a strong attraction between attached
tropomyosin molecules. We start with an empty lattice and show that the binding
goes through several stages. The first stage represents fast initial binding
and leaves many small vacancies between blocks of bound molecules. In the
second stage the vacancies annihilate slowly as tropomyosin molecules detach
and re-attach. Finally the system approaches equilibrium. Using a grain-growth
model and a diffusion-coagulation model we give analytical approximations for
the vacancy density in all regimes.Comment: REVTeX, 10 pages, 9 figures; to appear in Biophysical Journal; minor
correction
Anomalous Dynamics of Translocation
We study the dynamics of the passage of a polymer through a membrane pore
(translocation), focusing on the scaling properties with the number of monomers
. The natural coordinate for translocation is the number of monomers on one
side of the hole at a given time. Commonly used models which assume Brownian
dynamics for this variable predict a mean (unforced) passage time that
scales as , even in the presence of an entropic barrier. However, the time
it takes for a free polymer to diffuse a distance of the order of its radius by
Rouse dynamics scales with an exponent larger than 2, and this should provide a
lower bound to the translocation time. To resolve this discrepancy, we perform
numerical simulations with Rouse dynamics for both phantom (in space dimensions
and 2), and self-avoiding (in ) chains. The results indicate that
for large , translocation times scale in the same manner as diffusion times,
but with a larger prefactor that depends on the size of the hole. Such scaling
implies anomalous dynamics for the translocation process. In particular, the
fluctuations in the monomer number at the hole are predicted to be
non-diffusive at short times, while the average pulling velocity of the polymer
in the presence of a chemical potential difference is predicted to depend on
.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
Moment and SDP relaxation techniques for smooth approximations of problems involving nonlinear differential equations
Combining recent moment and sparse semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation
techniques, we propose an approach to find smooth approximations for solutions
of problems involving nonlinear differential equations. Given a system of
nonlinear differential equations, we apply a technique based on finite
differences and sparse SDP relaxations for polynomial optimization problems
(POP) to obtain a discrete approximation of its solution. In a second step we
apply maximum entropy estimation (using moments of a Borel measure associated
with the discrete solution) to obtain a smooth closed-form approximation. The
approach is illustrated on a variety of linear and nonlinear ordinary
differential equations (ODE), partial differential equations (PDE) and optimal
control problems (OCP), and preliminary numerical results are reported
Diffusion-limited loop formation of semiflexible polymers: Kramers theory and the intertwined time scales of chain relaxation and closing
We show that Kramers rate theory gives a straightforward, accurate estimate
of the closing time of a semiflexible polymer that is valid in cases
of physical interest. The calculation also reveals how the time scales of chain
relaxation and closing are intertwined, illuminating an apparent conflict
between two ways of calculating in the flexible limit.Comment: Europhys. Lett., 2003 (in press). 8 pages, 3 figures. See also,
physics/0101087 for physicist's approach to and the importance of
semiflexible polymer looping, in DNA replicatio
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