SciPost Submission Page
Characteristic features of an active polar filament pushing a load
by Prabhakar Maurya, Shalabh Kumar Anand, and Sunil Pratap Singh
Submission summary
| Authors (as registered SciPost users): | Shalabh Anand · SUNIL PRATAP SINGH |
| Submission information | |
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| Preprint Link: | scipost_202410_00008v3 (pdf) |
| Code repository: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14836853 |
| Data repository: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14836853 |
| Date submitted: | 2025-04-03 11:43 |
| Submitted by: | Anand, Shalabh |
| Submitted to: | SciPost Physics |
| Ontological classification | |
|---|---|
| Academic field: | Physics |
| Specialties: |
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| Approaches: | Theoretical, Computational |
Abstract
We present the structural and dynamical behavior of an active polar filament that is pushing a load using overdamped Langevin dynamics simulations. By varying the bending rigidity and the connectivity between the filament and the load, we smoothly transition the boundary condition of the filament from pivoted to clamped. In the clamped state, the load remains strongly aligned with the filament, whereas in the pivoted state, the load is free to rotate at its attachment point. Under the pivoted boundary condition, the active polar filament buckles and exhibits various fascinating dynamical phases, including snake-like motion, rotational motion, and helical conformations. However, under the clamped boundary condition, the helical phase disappears, and the filament attains either an extended or a bent conformation. The transition from the extended state to the helical phase is characterized using a global helical order parameter in the parameter space of active force and a physical quantity associated with the boundary condition. We have obtained various power laws relating the curvature radius of the helical phase, effective diffusivity, and rotational motion of the monomers to the active force. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the filament’s effective diffusivity in the helical phase exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on the active force: it initially increases linearly but decreases sharply at high active force strengths.
Author indications on fulfilling journal expectations
- Provide a novel and synergetic link between different research areas.
- Open a new pathway in an existing or a new research direction, with clear potential for multi-pronged follow-up work
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- Present a breakthrough on a previously-identified and long-standing research stumbling block
Author comments upon resubmission
Thank you very much for sending us the referee report on our article. We are pleased with the comments and suggestions of the referees on our manuscript. We have incorporated all the suggestions and comments in the revised manuscript. We have provided a point-by-point response to each comment in the response file. All the major corrections and responses are highlighted in blue color.
We have provided a working code and a readme file with all the necessary details to run the code and reproduce the relevant data. The link to the repository for an updated code version is embedded in the revised manuscript.
We hope that you will find the revised manuscript suitable for publication in the journal of SciPost Physics.
We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours,
Prabhakar Maurya, Shalabh K. Anand, and Sunil P. Singh
List of changes
1. We have rephrased a paragraph (paragraph 4) in the Introduction.
2. Figure 5-a and b is rescaled with their passive values.
3. Paragraph 4 in the section 3.4 (Bond Correlation) is rephrased.
4. Figure 9 is rescaled with the contour length of the filament.
5. A new reference (62) is added.
6. We have updated the link to the latest version of codes in the repository in the manuscript.