The randomly broken chain as a semiflexible macromolecular model. Computer simulation of statistical properties

摘要

At any repeating unit of the randomly broken chain model, the direction of the chain can either follow that of the preceding bond, or change at random. The contourhyphen;length dependence of the meanhyphen;squared endhyphen;tohyphen;end distance and radius of gyration, when expressed in terms of a persistance length, is found to be the same as that for wormhyphen;like chains. However, other moments of the endhyphen;tohyphen;end distance have a clearly distinct length dependence, as found by computer simulation. Due to the finite probability of a fully extended, straight conformation, the distribution function of the endhyphen;tohyphen;end distance has a peculiar sharp peak. The similarities and differences between this model and the wormhyphen;like chains are discussed.