2010/05/31 by Felipe Mondaini, L. Moriconi
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Balance equation #Chain (unit) #Detailed balance #Exponent #Ion channel regulation and function #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Markov chain #Markov process #Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies #Relaxation (psychology) #Scaling #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.3637039
published as J. Chem. Phys. 135, 114902 (2011) · 17 pages, 5 figures
openalex publication_date 2011/09/19 · arxiv created 2012/03/20 · arxiv updated 2015/05/19 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We solve the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation and study the exact splitting probabilities of the general stochastic process which describes polymer translocation through membrane pores within the broad class of Markov chains. Transition probabilities, which satisfy a specific balance constraint, provide a refinement of the Chuang-Kantor-Kardar relaxation picture of translocation, allowing us to investigate finite size effects in the evaluation of dynamical scaling exponents. We find that (i) previous Langevin simulation results can be recovered only if corrections to the polymer mobility exponent are taken into account and (ii) the dynamical scaling exponents have a slow approach to their predicted asymptotic values as the polymer's length increases. We also address, along with strong support from additional numerical simulations, a critical discussion which points in a clear way the viability of the Markov chain approach put forward in this work.