title: Rapid transitions between defect configurations in a block copolymer melt.
abstract: With in situ scanning force microscopy, we image the ordering of cylindrical microdomains in a thin film of a diblock copolymer melt. Tracking the evolution of individual defects reveals elementary steps of defect motion via interfacial undulations and repetitive transitions between distinct defect configurations on a time scale of tens of seconds. The velocity of these transitions suggests a cooperative movement of clusters of chains. The activation energy for the opening/closing of a connection between two cylinders is estimated.
authors.affiliation: Physikalische Chemie II, Universität Bayreuth, Germany. larisa.tsarkova@uni-bayreuth.de
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsarkova
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knoll
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Magerle
mesh_terms: D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers