Normal mode analysis of a model semirigid polymer.

Dynamic and structural properties of biological polymers are important to their function but it is difficult to obtain information on molecular flexibility at an atomic level. This paper describes how a normal mode analysis can be used to describe the equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of complex polymer systems such as DNA in solution. A weak coupling between the chain deformation and the local chain orientation simplifies the calculations. A crossover in the normal mode behavior is proposed with a transition from straight rod bend modes to longitudinal oscillations of a coil conformation as a function of the stiffness and the degree of polymerization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]