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Use the arc length $s$ and the unit tangent $\mathbf{t}={\partial }_s\mathbf{r}$ of an inextensible filament. In the high-force state choose its positive longitudinal branch. The constraint givesThe extension is $z={\int }_0^L{t}_{z}ds=L-\frac{1}{2}{\int }_0^L|{\mathbf{t}}_{\perp }{|}^{2}ds+\cdots$. The curvature of a space curve obeys ${\kappa }^2=|{\partial }_s\mathbf{t}{|}^2$. Since ${\partial }_s{t}_z=-{\mathbf{t}}_{\perp }\cdot {\partial }_s{\mathbf{t}}_{\perp }+\cdots$ is second order in small fluctuations, its squared contribution is fourth order. Thus the worm-like chain energy through quadratic order isPositive force suppresses transverse orientation fluctuations, while the filament bending modulus penalizes their spatial variation.

To apply the equipartition theorem without missing either component or a mode-counting factor, expand each component in a real orthonormal basis of eigenfunctions of $-{\partial }_s^2$, $t_{\alpha }(s)={\sum }_q{a}_{\alpha q}{w}_q(s)$, with $\int w_q{w}_{q^{\prime }}ds={\delta }_{q{q}^{\prime }}$ and $\alpha =x,y$. The quadratic energy is $\frac{1}{2}{\sum }_{\alpha ,q}(A{q}^2+f)a_{\alpha q}^2$. Each real quadratic degree of freedom contributes $k_{B}T/2$, soFor a chain long compared with the force-dependent correlation length, the interior is translation invariant and the mode sum per length becomes $\int dq/(2\pi )$. Equivalently, for the Fourier transform ${\tilde{t}}_{\alpha }(q)=\int e^{-iqs}{t}_{\alpha }(s)ds$,The negative and positive wavenumbers here represent the real-field mode count consistently, rather than two independent complex modes. Summing both transverse components gives the high-force worm-like chain elasticitywhere the integral follows by setting $q=\sqrt{f/A}u$ and using ${\int }_{-\infty }^{\infty }(1+u^2{)}^{-1}du=\pi$. ThereforeHere $L_p$ is the three-dimensional zero-force persistence length. The result requires $f{L}_p\gg k_{B}T$, negligible backbone stretching, and a long-chain bulk approximation. It does not describe the eventual bond-stretching regime. For a continuum polymer description, the force-dependent length should also exceed the microscopic cutoff.

For comparison, a three-dimensional freely jointed chain has contour length $L=Nb$ and independent link orientations. At force $f$, a link of polar angle $\vartheta$ has Boltzmann factor $e^{x\cos \vartheta }$ with $x=fb/(k_{B}T)$. Its angular canonical partition function isThe total canonical partition function is $Z_1^N$. Differentiating with respect to force gives the force-extension of a three-dimensional freely jointed chain:ConsequentlyThe extension deficits scale as $f^{-1}$ and $f^{-1/2}$ respectively. Inverting them gives force divergences proportional to the first and second inverse powers of the deficit. Freely jointed link rotations cost no bending energy; the worm-like chain instead has a continuum of coupled bending modes whose contributing wavelengths change with force. Setting a long-wavelength coarse-grained link length $b=2L_p$ can match weak-force statistics, but does not make these high-force laws identical.

For the transverse tangent correlation of a stretched worm-like chain, use a separation $r$ consistently: the source writes $C(y)$ but integrates a separation denoted $r$. In the translation-invariant bulk the spatial average is redundant andTo evaluate the integral without an assumed decay law, let $G(r)$ be the inverse Fourier transform of $(A{q}^2+f{)}^{-1}$. Then $(-A{\partial }_r^2+f)G=\delta (r)$. Away from zero, decay at both infinities requires $G=B{e}^{-|r|/\xi }$ with $\xi =\sqrt{A/f}$. Integrating across zero yields $-A[G^{\prime }(0^{+})-G^{\prime }(0^{-})]=1$, so $B=1/(2\sqrt{Af})$. ThusAt $r=0$ this agrees with the two-component equipartition theorem calculation. The correlation length decreases with force and is distinct from the zero-force persistence length. The full tangent correlation has a nonzero aligned background; the exponentially decaying quantity here is specifically the transverse correlation.

For a finite open chain, the source's integral samples $s+r$ beyond $L$ and supplies no endpoint tangent conditions. An exact finite-length correlation is therefore not uniquely specified. The result above is the intended bulk form when $L\gg \xi$. As one explicit finite convention, periodically extending the tangent fluctuations gives the periodic finite-length tangent correlation of a stretched worm-like chainwhere $d_L(r)$ is the distance from zero around the periodic interval. Then $C_L(0)=(k_{B}T/\sqrt{Af})\coth [L/(2\xi )]$, and the extension formula acquires this same finite-length factor. The bulk law is recovered as $L/\xi \to \infty$. This makes the endpoint assumption explicit rather than claiming an unspecified finite-chain correlation is exactly translationally invariant.

Periodizing the bulk transverse tangent correlation of a stretched worm-like chain gives $C_L(r)={\sum }_{j\in \mathbb{Z}}C(r+jL)$, where $d_L(r)$ is the distance to zero on the periodic interval. Summing the geometric series yields the displayed result. At zero separation its finite-length factor is $\coth (L/(2\xi ))$; for $L\gg \xi$ the bulk result is recovered. Periodic tangent fluctuations are a mathematical boundary convention, not a claim that a pulled physical chain forms a closed loop.