New coarse grained model for the study of the dynamics of the Worm Like Chain

Semiflexible polymers display rich and varied behavior, distinct from both their rigid and flexible counterparts. This diversity arises from the interplay between bending energetics and conformational entropy. This energetic balance manifests as correlations between orientations along the polymer backbone, which depend on the flexibility of the polymer. Typically, the Kratky-Porod model is used to study semiflexible polymer systems, however, it is of limited utility when attempting to study non-equilibrium polymer dynamics, particularly over long timescales in flow. Currently, coarse grained models exist which allow for the study of polymers over longer time scales than the Kratky-Porod model, but at the cost of much fine grained information. To address this deficiency and bridge the gap between models, we propose a new coarse grained model for semiflexible polymers that reproduces some key behaviors of the Kratky-Porod model while simultaneously allowing for study of polymeric systems on a longer time scale. In this work, we have used Brownian dynamics to quantify and assess the accuracy of other key features of the model.