We analyze the role of temperature in the rate-independent cohesion and decohesion
behavior of an elastic film, mimicked by a one-dimensional mass-spring chain, grounded to …

The fracture behavior of brittle and ductile materials can be strongly influenced by thermal
fluctuations, especially in micro-and nanodevices as well as in rubberlike and biological …

We study the rate-independent decohesion process for a chain linked to a substrate through
a series of breakable elements with a softening mechanism. Such an assumption describes …

Several experimental methods are usually applied for stretching single molecules and
provide valuable insights about the static and dynamic responses induced by externally …

The combination of bistability and cooperativity plays a crucial role in several biological and
artificial micro-and nanosystems. In particular, the exhaustive understanding of the …

The killing of tumor cells by ionizing radiation beams in cancer radiotherapy is currently
based on a rather empirical understanding of the basic mechanisms and effectiveness of …

The force–extension response of chains composed of bistable (or multistable) units strongly
depends on the applied boundary conditions. As a matter of fact, isotensional conditions …

Systems with a multistable energy landscape are widespread in physics, biophysics,
technology, and materials science. They are strongly influenced by thermal fluctuations and …

Single-molecule force spectroscopy techniques allow for the measurement of several static
and dynamic features of macromolecules of biological origin. In particular, atomic force …

The statistical mechanics and the thermodynamics of small systems are characterized by the
non-equivalence of the statistical ensembles. When concerning a polymer chain or an …