Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 151, 95-101 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2007-00365-6

Anomalous transport of macromolecules in solution

A semi-phenomenological Fokker-Planck approach

¹ Institut für Physik, Universität Kassel, 34132 Kassel, Germany
² Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, 69029 Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

Based on a semi-phenomenological Fokker-Planck approach, we present and discuss a theoretical framework for studying the transport properties of macromolecules in solution. A formally exact expression for the diffusion of macromolecules is derived and utilized in order to show the anomalous character of the macromolecular diffusion, both at very short times, t→ 0, as well as in the asymptotic limit, t→∞. Numerical computations for 50- and 100-bead macromolecules demonstrate moreover a `superdiffusive' behaviour at short and intermediate times when compared with the data from the (Einstein's) phenomenological theory.