Diffusion in a generalized Rubinstein-Duke model of electrophoresis with kinematic disorder

Abstract

Using a generalized Rubinstein-Duke model we prove rigorously that kinematic disorder leaves the prediction of standard reptation theory for the scaling of the diffusion constant in the limit for long polymer chains D ∝ L −2 unaffected. Based on an analytical calculation as well as Monte Carlo simulations we predict kinematic disorder to affect the center of mass diffusion constant of an entangled polymer in the limit for long chains by the same factor as single particle diffusion in a random barrier model.