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HERO ID
7075810
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Solitons in spiral polymeric macromolecules
Author(s)
Piattelli, A; Podda, GG; Scarano, A; ,
Year
2000
Language
English
PMID
11088403
DOI
10.1103/physreve.61.7065
Abstract
The problem of the existence and stability of dynamical soliton regimes in a helix polymer is solved numerically. For the polytetrafluoroethylene macromolecule, within a model in which deformations of the valence and torsion angles and the valence bonds are taken into account, two types of soliton solutions are found. The first type describes the propagation of a solitary wave of torsional displacements of a helix chain. The twisting of the chain is a result of the compression of dihedral (torsion) angles. The second type describes the propagation of a solitary wave of longitudinal displacements of a helix chain. The longitudinal compression of the chain is a result of the compression of the valence angles and bonds. The solitons have a finite narrow spectrum of supersonic velocities: the soliton of torsion has a spectrum above the velocity of long-wavelength phonons of torsion while the spectrum of the solitons of compression lies above the velocity of long-wavelength phonons of longitudinal displacement. Numerical simulations of the soliton dynamics show their stability in the intervals of admissible velocities. The elasticity of soliton interactions under their collisions is demonstrated. The formation of solitons induced by deformation of end bonds of the helix chain has been modeled. It is shown that helicity of the macromolecule is the necessary condition for existence of torsional solitons.
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