Cyclization and Relaxation Dynamics of Finite-Length Collapsed Self-Avoiding Polymers

Abstract

Abstract We study the cyclization and relaxation dynamics of ideal as well as interacting polymers as a function of chain length N. For the cyclization time τcyc of ideal chains we recover the known scaling τcyc∼N2 for different backbone models, for a self-avoiding slightly collapsed chain we obtain from Langevin simulations and scaling theory a modified scaling τcyc∼N5/3. The cyclization and relaxation dynamics of a finite-length collapsed chain scale differently; this unexpected dynamic multiscale behavior is rationalized by the crossover between swollen and collapsed chain behavior.