THE HEISENBERG CHAIN AS A DYNAMICAL MODEL FOR PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS - SOME THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

The integrable Heisenberg quantum chain with certain non-diagonal boun dary fields is the generator of a Markov process known as asymmetric e xclusion process with open boundary conditions. This is a driven latti ce gas where particles hop randomly along a one-dimensional chain and are injected and absorbed at the boundaries. This model has been sugge sted in 1968 by MacDonald, Gibbs and Pipkin as a model for the kinetic s of protein synthesis on nucleic acid templates. The exact solution o f the steady state of the system (corresponding to the exact ground st ate of the Heisenberg chain) which was obtained recently is shown to b e in qualitative agreement with experimental data. The exact solution supports some of the original conclusions drawn from a mean field trea tment by MacDonald et al. but gives deeper insight into one important aspect.