Chain Models for Transient and Semiflexible Structures

Abstract

In order to be prepared for the analysis of the flexible FENE-C (FENE model which allows for scission/recombination), FENE-B (which allows for bending stiffness) and FENE-CB fluids (both bending stiffness and scission) to be discussed below, we summarize results for the configurational statistics of wormlike chains (WLC) in external fields by using the method of functional integrals (FI) in quasimomentum space. From the correlation functions, statistical properties of WLCs, such as gyration radius and scattering functions can be obtained. By varying the bending rigidity the WLC exhibits a crossover from an ideal Gaussian chain to a rodlike chain. Simulations on the WLC model are widely available, see e.g. [185–188].