Dynamical scaling of the DNA unzipping transition

Abstract

We report studies of the dynamics of a set of exactly solvable lattice models for the force-induced DNA unzipping transition. Besides yielding the whole equilibrium phase diagram, which reveals a reentrance, these models enable us to characterize the dynamics of the process starting from a nonequilibrium initial condition. The thermal melting of DNA displays a model dependent time evolution. On the contrary, the dynamical mechanism for the unzipping by force is very robust and the scaling behavior is independent of the details of the description and, hence, superuniversal.