Sedimentation and Diffusion of Wormlike Polymer Chains

Sedimentation and diffusion constants of wormlike polymer chains have been calculated using methods of Kirkwood and collaborators. The chain statistics are described according to Hermans and Ullman using the (Kratky–Porod) model. The results are obtained for several chain lengths at varying degrees of flexibility for several possible values of the segmental friction constant. Application of these calculations and an earlier calculation on intrinsic viscosity led to a Kratky–Porod persistence length of about 600 Å for double-stranded DNA.