Physics of polymer melts.
We have mapped the physics of polymer melts onto a time-dependent Landau-Ginzburg |psi|(4) field theory using techniques of functional integration. Time in the theory is simply a label for the location of a given monomer along the extent of a flexible chain. With this model, one can show that the limit of infinitesimal concentration of a polymer melt corresponds to a dynamic critical phenomenon. The transition to the entangled state is also shown to be a critical point. For larger concentrations, when the role of fluctuations is reduced, a mean-field approximation is justifiably employed to show the existence of tubelike structures reminiscent of Edwards' model.
Chitanvis
S M
SM
Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.