FIELD-INDUCED WINDING OF CHIRAL POLYMERS

We propose a microscopic model of a chiral polymer chain with permanen t transverse dipoles interacting with an external electric field. Its behaviour has been investigated by computer simulation in the limit of weak chirality. Large-scale (tertiary) helical winding induced along the field direction has been found above a threshold field E-c, and th e helix parameters have been calculated as functions of the field stre ngth. Below E-c, there is no coherent helical structure of the chain c onformation. We find a characteristic scaling of the threshold and the winding radius a with the chain bending modulus epsilon, (E-c/k(B)T) similar to epsilon(1/4) and a similar to(k(B)T/E)epsilon.