Thermal breakage of a semiflexible polymer: Breakage profile and rate
  Understanding fluctuation-induced breakages in polymers has important implications for basic and applied sciences. Here I present for the first time an analytical treatment of the thermal breakage problem of a semi-flexible polymer model that is asymptotically exact in the low temperature and high friction limits. Specifically, I provide analytical expressions for the breakage propensity and rate, and discuss the generalities of the results and their relevance to biopolymers. 
Chiu Fan Lee
cond-mat.mtrl-sci cond-mat.stat-mech physics.bio-ph