Anomalous fluctuations of active polar filaments.

Abstract

Using a simple model, we study the fluctuating dynamics of inextensible, semiflexible polar filaments interacting with active and directed force generating centers such as molecular motors. Taking into account the fact that the activity occurs on time scales comparable to the filament relaxation time, we obtain some unexpected differences between both the steady-state and dynamical behaviors of active as compared to passive filaments. For the statics, the filaments have a length-scale-dependent rigidity. Dynamically, we find strongly enhanced anomalous diffusion.