Simplifying topological entanglements by entropic competition of slip-links

Topological entanglements are abundant, and often detrimental, in polymeric systems in biology and materials science. Here we theoretically investigate the topological simplification of knots by diffusing slip-links (SLs), which may represent biological or synthetic molecules, such as structural mai...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrea Bonato, Davide Marenduzzo, Davide Michieletto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2021-10-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043070