Summary
A polymer chain subject to certain constraints (slip-link plus fixed end points) is considered. It is shown that this system exhibits spontaneous symmetry breaking when the end-to-end distance of the chain is lowered below a certain critical value. Various implications of this effect are mentioned.
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Rieger, J., in preparation
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Rieger, J. An example of spontaneous symmetry breaking in polymer physics. Polymer Bulletin 18, 343–346 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00256235
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00256235