Rotational dynamics of entangled polymers

Abstract

Some recent results on the rotational dynamics of polymers are reviewed and extended. We focus here on the relaxation of a polymer, either flexible or semiflexible, initially wrapped around a rigid rod. We also study the steady polymer rotation generated by a constant torque on the rod. The interplay of frictional and entropic forces leads to a complex dynamical behavior characterized by non-trivial universal exponents. The results are based on extensive simulations of polymers undergoing Rouse dynamics and on an analytical approach using force balance and scaling arguments. The analytical results are in general in good agreement with the simulations, showing how a simplified approach can correctly capture the complex dynamical behavior of rotating polymers.