@phdthesis{Gutjahr2007,
  author    = {Gutjahr, Petra},
  title     = {Conformations of semiflexible polymers and filaments},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-15918},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  year      = {2007},
  abstract  = {The biological function and the technological applications of semiflexible polymers, such as DNA, actin filaments and carbon nanotubes, strongly depend on their rigidity. Semiflexible polymers are characterized by their persistence length, the definition of which is the subject of the first part of this thesis. Attractive interactions, that arise e.g.~in the adsorption, the condensation and the bundling of filaments, can change the conformation of a semiflexible polymer. The conformation depends on the relative magnitude of the material parameters and can be influenced by them in a systematic manner. In particular, the morphologies of semiflexible polymer rings, such as circular nanotubes or DNA, which are adsorbed onto substrates with three types of structures, are studied: (i) A topographical channel, (ii) a chemically modified stripe and (iii) a periodic pattern of topographical steps. The results are compared with the condensation of rings by attractive interactions. Furthermore, the bundling of two individual actin filaments, whose ends are anchored, is analyzed. This system geometry is shown to provide a systematic and quantitative method to extract the magnitude of the attraction between the filaments from experimentally observable conformations of the filaments.},
  language  = {en}
}