Abstract
We consider the motion of semiflexible polymers in double-wellpotentials. We calculate shape, energy, and effective diffusionconstant of kink excitations, and in particular their dependenceon the bending rigidity of the semiflexible polymer. Forsymmetric potentials, the kink motion is purely diffusive,whereas kink motion becomes directed in the presence of a drivingforce on the polymer. We determine the average velocity of thesemiflexible polymer based on the kink dynamics. The Kramersescape over the potential barriers proceeds by nucleation anddiffusive motion of kink-antikink pairs, the relaxation to thestraight configuration by annihilation of kink-antikink pairs. Ourresults apply to the activated motion of biopolymers such as DNAand actin filaments or synthetic polyelectrolytes on structuredsubstrates.
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