A harmonic oscillator model of the conformationally flexible helical polymeric molecules

Abstract

The approach of the persistence vector to its asymptotic limit can be characterized by the average projection of a unit vector along the last bond onto a unit vector along the first bond. The behavior of this projection has been examined in simple, predominantly helical chains in which limited flexibility is introduced by either of two devices: occurrence in an average way of a configuration much different from that required for helix propagation, and use of a square-well potential centered at the dihedral angle utilized in a rigid helix. The manner in which flexibility is introduced determines the behavior of the angular frequency as well as the relative decay rates for oscillations and the midpoint about which oscillations occur.