Kinetic models for semiflexible polymers in a half-plane

Abstract

Based on a general discrete model for a semiflexible polymer chain, we introduce a formal derivation of a kinetic equation for semiflexible polymers in the half-plane via a continuum limit. It turns out that the resulting equation is the kinetic Fokker–Planck-type equation with Laplace–Beltrami operator under a nonlocal trapping boundary condition. We then study the well-posedness and the long-chain asymptotics of the solutions of the resulting equation. In particular, we prove that there exists a unique measure-valued solution for the corresponding boundary value problem. In addition, we prove that the equation is hypoelliptic and the solutions are locally Hölder continuous near the singular boundary. Finally, we provide the asymptotic behaviors of the solutions for large polymer chains. © 2023 MSP (Mathematical Sciences Publishers).