6,824 research outputs found
Manipulating a single adsorbed DNA for a critical endpoint
We show the existence of a critical endpoint in the phase diagram of
unzipping of an adsorbed double-stranded (ds) polymer like DNA. The competition
of base pairing, adsorption and stretching by an external force leads to the
critical end point. From exact results, the location of the critical end point
is determined and its classical nature established.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, Published versio
DNA sequence from the unzipping force? : one mutation problem
The possibility of detecting mutations in a DNA from force measurements (as a
first step towards sequence analysis) is discussed theoretically based on exact
calculations. The force signal is associated with the domain wall separating
the zipped from the unzipped regions. We propose a comparison method
(``differential force microscope'') to detect mutations. Two lattice models are
treated as specific examples.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures. Revised version with minor changes. Paragraph
with discussion on experiments added. Accepted for publication in J. Phys. A
as a Letter to the Edito
Analysis of a Three Phase Induction Motor Directly from Maxwell's Equations
The torque developed in a three phase AC squirrel cage motor is usually
expressed in terms of resistances and reactances of the stator, the rotor, and
the motor as a whole. We use Maxwell's equations to find the torque in terms of
geometrical parameters. This allows us to estimate the torque developed by a
motor without knowing the details of its circuitry
Helicase activity on DNA as a propagating front
We develop a propagating front analysis, in terms of a local probability of
zipping, for the helicase activity of opening up a double stranded DNA (dsDNA).
In a fixed-distance ensemble (conjugate to the fixed-force ensemble) the front
separates the zipped and unzipped phases of a dsDNA and a drive acts locally
around the front. Bounds from variational analysis and numerical estimates for
the speed of a helicase are obtained. Different types of helicase behaviours
can be distinguished by the nature of the drive.Comment: 5 pages, 5 eps figures; replaced by the published versio
Current sheet formation and nonideal behavior at three-dimensional magnetic null points
The nature of the evolution of the magnetic field, and of current sheet
formation, at three-dimensional (3D) magnetic null points is investigated. A
kinematic example is presented which demonstrates that for certain evolutions
of a 3D null (specifically those for which the ratios of the null point
eigenvalues are time-dependent) there is no possible choice of boundary
conditions which renders the evolution of the field at the null ideal.
Resistive MHD simulations are described which demonstrate that such evolutions
are generic. A 3D null is subjected to boundary driving by shearing motions,
and it is shown that a current sheet localised at the null is formed. The
qualitative and quantitative properties of the current sheet are discussed.
Accompanying the sheet development is the growth of a localised parallel
electric field, one of the signatures of magnetic reconnection. Finally, the
relevance of the results to a recent theory of turbulent reconnection is
discussed.Comment: to appear in Phys. Plasmas. A version with higher quality figures can
be found at http://www.maths.dundee.ac.uk/~dpontin/ In this replacement
version, typos have been corrected, and in addition references and some
further discussion adde
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