Figure 9.

Monte Carlo simulations of synapsis. The diagram shows variables that define the mutual orientation of the recombination sites (shown by red). The variables are used in the potential specified by Eq. (2) and for the definition of the synapsis. Vectors b₁ and b₂ are perpendicular to a₁ and a₂, respectively, and are in the planes of the sites. The angles which appear in Eq. (2) are defined as: $\varphi =arccos\left[\frac{-({\mathit{a}}_1{\mathit{a}}_2)}{a_1{a}_2}\right],\theta =arccos\left[\frac{-({\mathit{b}}_1{\mathit{b}}_2)}{b_1{b}_2}\right]\hspace{0.17em}\text{and\hspace{0.17em}}\varsigma =arccos\left[\frac{({\mathit{b}}_1\mathit{r})}{b_{1}r}\right]$.