DNA Bubble Life Time in Denaturation

Abstract

We have investigated the denaturation bubble life time for a homogeneous as well as for a heterogeneous DNA within a Poland-Scheraga model. It is shown that at criticality the bubble life time for a homogeneous DNA is finite provided that the loop entropic exponent c>2 and has a scaling dependence on DNA length for c<2. Heterogeneity in the thermodynamical limit makes the bubble life time infinite for any entropic exponent.