Title: Stationary and moving breathers in alpha-helix proteins. Breather trapping hypothesis.

Speaker: JFR Archilla (pdf slides color 495 Kb)
With Yu B Gaididei, PL Christiansen and J Cuevas

Abstract:

The existence, stability and movability of breathers in a model for alpha-helix proteins is studied. This model basically consists a chain of dipole moments parallel to it. The existence of localized linear modes brings about that the system has a characteristic frequency, which depends on the curvature of the chain. Hard breathers are stable, while soft ones experiment subharmonic instabilities that preserve, however the localization. Moving breathers can travel across the bending point for small curvature and are reflected when it is increased. No trapping of breathers takes place. A breather trapping hypothesis is formulated.

Current Topics in Theoretical Physics (WS 02/03), at Physikalisches Institut. Theoretische Physik I
Universität Bayreuth, Germany. December 9, 2002. Seminar by JFR Archilla.