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The electrostatic potential of a discretely charged cylinder in solution
Author(s) -
Bailey James M.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.1973.360120309
Subject(s) - cylinder , debye–hückel equation , electrolyte , charge density , chemistry , charge (physics) , debye length , surface charge , dielectric , debye , electrostatics , electrostatic induction , molecular physics , mechanics , atomic physics , ion , physics , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , electrode
The electrostatic potential of an infinitely long cylinder with a periodic, discrete charge density was calculated, assuming the cylinder was immersed in a simple 1 : 1 electrolyte solution. The charge density of the simple electrolyte was taken to be the linearized Debye‐Hückel charge density. It was also assumed that the discrete charge density, was within the cylinder (rather than on its surface), and that the interior of the cylinder had a unique dielectric constant D h , which was treated as a parameter. Although this model (except for the Debye‐Hückel assumption) more realistically represents DNA than previous models, the calculated potential was found to be ambiguous, depending on the value chosen for the depth of the discrete charge below the cylinder surface. However it was also found that the dependence of the potential on the simple electrolyte concentration was well‐defined and was identical to that of a continuously charged cylinder. It was concluded that the continuously charged cylinder model adequately describes differential salt effects.