title: Many-body interactions between particles in a polydisperse polymer fluid.
abstract: We use a continuum chain model and develop an analytical theory for the interaction between many spheres immersed in a fluid of ideal polydisperse polymers. Assuming local spherical symmetry of the polymer field about each particle, combined with a local approximation, compact expressions are derived for the many-body interaction between the spheres. We use a mean-field approximation to investigate the fluid-fluid phase diagram for the mixture.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University College, University of New South Wales, ADFA, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600, Australia. c.woodward@adfa.edu.au
authors.forename: Clifford E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Woodward
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forsman
mesh_terms: D008956:Models, Chemical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers