Effect of a net charge on the conformation of polyampholytes

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Abstract
We investigate polyampholyte chains with random sequences of positive and negative charges using simple scaling arguments. We show that Coulomb interactions between charges of opposite signs in a single chain lead to formation of a globule. Due to a net charge the globule might be strongly elongated depending on the value of the net charge. This effect is especially pronounced for chains with long-range correlations in the sequence of charges. When the net charge is strong enough the radius of gyration may even grow as the temperature decreases.

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