Dynamic Properties of an Extended Polymer in Solution

Extended polymers are relevant in a variety of situations ranging from the classic coil-stretch problem to recent single molecule polymer experiments with DNA. We present theoretical calculations and computer simulations of the dynamic properties of extended single polymers. We discuss the effects of tension and hydrodynamics on t, the fundamental relaxation time of the polymer, and find that tension dominates the behavior of t. Furthermore, the symmetry breaking caused by extending the polymer “splits” t, leading to distinct longitudinal and transverse relaxation times. Our results are in agreement with recent experiments, and we discuss implications for the coil-stretch transition. [S0031-9007(99)09004-3]