Persistence length is a measure used in polymer physics and linked fields to describe the stiffness of a polymer or flexible chain. It is defined as the length over which the direction of a segment of the polymer chain is correlated. In simpler terms, it quantifies how far along the chain a segment remains oriented in the same direction before it begins to bend or twist. The persistence length is important for understanding the conformational properties of polymers, biopolymers (like DNA and proteins), and other complex systems.
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