We perform extensive MD simulations of two-dimensional systems of hard disks, focusing on the emph{on}-collision statistical properties. We analyze the distribution functions of velocity, free flight time and free path length for packing fractions ra
nging from the fluid to the solid phase. The behaviors of the mean free flight time and path length between subsequent collisions are found to drastically change in the coexistence phase. We show that single particle dynamical properties behave analogously in collisional and continuous time representations, exhibiting apparent crossovers between the fluid and the solid phase. We find that, both in collisional and continuous time representation, the mean square displacement, velocity autocorrelation functions, intermediate scattering functions and self part of the van Hove function (propagator), closely reproduce the same behavior exhibited by the corresponding quantities in granular media, colloids and supercooled liquids close to the glass or jamming transition.
We observed reptation of single DNA molecules in fused silica nanoslits of sub-30 nm height. The reptation behavior and the effect of confinement are quantitatively characterized using orientation correlation and transverse fluctuation analysis. We s
how tube-like polymer motion arises for a tense polymer under strong quasi-2D confinement and interaction with surface- passivating polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) molecules in nanoslits, while etching- induced device surface roughness, chip bonding materials and DNA-intercalated dye-surface interaction, play minor roles. These findings have strong implications for the effect of surface modification in nanofluidic systems with potential applications for single molecule DNA analysis.
