Regensburg 1998 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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DY: Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 18: POSTER I

DY 18.49: Poster

Montag, 23. März 1998, 14:30–17:30, D

Karhunen–Loève (KL) Modes for a Nonlinear Polymer Model — •R. Rzehak and W. Zimmermann — Institut für Festkörperforschung und FORUM Modellierung, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich

Polymers share important features with other systems previously investigated by the KL–method. These include turbulent boundary layers and various nonlinear model equations related to fluid turbulence. The bead–spring model for long polymers such as DNA or polystyrene is high–dimensional and the non–linearity which enters through the hydrodynamic interactions between different beads is expected to be strong for long chains. Different from the systems studied so far is that in polymer dynamics thermal fluctuations drive the dynamics. Therefore a statistical method such as the KL method is even more suited for this case.

Understanding the dynamics of a single polymer in solution is crucial for a thorough formulation of the macroscopic dynamics of polymeric liquids. The possibility to derive low dimensional models, which still capture the essential dynamics of dissolved polymers may allow further progress in the developement of improved macroscopic theories. These models can be compared with recent experiments on single DNA molecules [1]. They may then provide a key to understand such puzzling phenomena as turbulent drag reduction.

[1] Quake, Babcock & Chu, Nature 388 (1997), p151