TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamics and topology of a flexible chain
T2 - Knots in steady shear flow
AU - Kuei, Steve
AU - Słowicka, Agnieszka M.
AU - Ekiel-Jezewska, Maria L.
AU - Wajnryb, Eligiusz
AU - Stone, Howard A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 IOP Publishing Ltd and Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft.
PY - 2015/5/1
Y1 - 2015/5/1
N2 - We use numerical simulations of a bead-spring model chain to investigate the evolution of the conformations of long and flexible elastic fibers in a steady shear flow. In particular, for rather open initial configurations, and by varying a dimensionless elastic parameter, we identify two distinct conformational modes with different final size, shape, and orientation. Through further analysis we identify slipknots in the chain. Finally, we provide examples of initial configurations of an 'open' trefoil knot that the flow unknots and then knots again, sometimes repeating several times.
AB - We use numerical simulations of a bead-spring model chain to investigate the evolution of the conformations of long and flexible elastic fibers in a steady shear flow. In particular, for rather open initial configurations, and by varying a dimensionless elastic parameter, we identify two distinct conformational modes with different final size, shape, and orientation. Through further analysis we identify slipknots in the chain. Finally, we provide examples of initial configurations of an 'open' trefoil knot that the flow unknots and then knots again, sometimes repeating several times.
KW - knots
KW - low Reynolds number flows
KW - multipole method
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930226331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84930226331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/1367-2630/17/5/053009
DO - 10.1088/1367-2630/17/5/053009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84930226331
SN - 1367-2630
VL - 17
JO - New Journal of Physics
JF - New Journal of Physics
M1 - 053009
ER -