Slow topological time scale of knotted polymers

Abstract

We investigate the Rouse dynamics of a flexible ring polymer with a prime knot. Within a Monte Carlo approach, we locate the knot, follow its diffusion and observe the fluctuations of its length. A topological time scale that is slower than the Rouse one is found to determine the long time behavior of several dynamical quantities. The value of the associated dynamical exponent is Zeta T = 2.32 +/- 0.1.