Solitons in DNA

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Abstract
DNA is modeled as a homogeneous, cylindrical rod with nonlinear elasticity using the Ostrovskii-Sutin equation (OSE) with periodic boundary conditions. This equation predicts that longitudinal sound waves will be concentrated into packets called solitons. From a study of the damped OSE, we conclude that decay time is almost independent of the solitonic character of the solution. For the damped, driven OSE, on the other hand, we find that spectral features (such as absorption line widths and fine structure) are strongly influenced by the presence of anharmonicity. This effect is enhanced as the length of the DNA is increased.