The first stage of the physics of long, flexible chains was pioneered by eminent scientists such as Debye, Kuhn, Kramers, and Flory, who formulated the basic ideas. In recent years, because of the availability of new experimental and theoretical tools, a second stage of the physics of polymers has evolved. In this book, a noted physicist explains the radical changes that have taken place in this exciting and rapidly developing field. Pierre-Gilles de Gennes points out the three developments that have been essential for recent advances in the study of large-scale conformations and motions of flexible polymers in solutions and melts. They are the advent of neutron-scattering experiments on selectively deuterated molecules; the availability of inelastic scattering of laser light, which allows us to study the cooperative motions of the chains; and the discovery of an important relationship between polymer statistics and critical phenomena, leading to many simple scaling laws. Until now, information relating to these advances has not been readily accessible to physical chemists and polymer scientists because of the difficulties in the new theoretical language that has come into use. Professor de Gennes bridges this gap by presenting scaling concepts in terms that will be understandable to students in chemistry and engineering as well as in physics.

This volume comprises the proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute held in Geilo, Norway, between 8-19 April 1985. Although the principal support for the meeting was provided by the NATO Committee for Scientific Affairs, a number of additional sponsors also contributed, allowing the assembly of an unusually large number of internationally rec ognized speakers. Additional funds were received from: EXXON Research and Engineering Co. IBM (Europe) Institutt for energiteknikk (NorwaY) Institut Lauge-Langevin (France) The Norwegian Research Council for Science and Humanities NORDITA (Denmark) The Norwegian Foreign Office The U. S. Army Research, Development and Standardization Group (Europe) The U. S. National Science Foundation - The Norwegian Council for Science and Letters The organizing committee would like to take this opportunity to thank these contributors for their help in promoting a most exciting rewarding meeting. This Study Institute was the eighth of a series of meetings held in Geilo on subjects related to phase transitions. In contrast to previous meetings which were principally concerned with transitions in ordered systems, this school addressed the problems which arise when structural order is absent. The unifying feature among the subjects discussed at the school and the link to themes of earlier meetings was the concept of scaling.

This book is a concise and clearly written introduction to the modern theory of polymer physics. The book describes basic concepts and methods of investigating the statistical properties of the assembly of chain-like molecules. The topics discussed include scaling theory, concentration fluctuation, gels, and reptation. Both graduate students and researchers in physics, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science will find this an extremely useful textbook and reference work.

This book provides a comprehensive account of the modern theory for the dynamical properties of polymer solutions. The theory has undergone dramatic evolution over the last two decades due to the introduction of new methods and concepts that have extended the frontier of theory from dilute solutions in which polymers move independently to concentrated solutions where many polymers converge. Among the properties examined are viscoelasticity, diffusion, dynamic light scattering, and electric birefringence. Nonlinear viscoelasticity is discussed in detail on the basis of molecular dynamical models. The book bridges the gap between classical theory and new developments, creating a consistent picture of polymer solution dynamics over the entire concentration range.

Polymer Physics provides and introduction to the field for upper level undergraduates and first year graduate students. Any student with a working knowledge of calculus, physics and chemistry should be able to read this book. The essential tools of the polymer physical chemist or engineer are derived in this book without skipping any steps.

Enthusiasts look forward to a time when tiny machines reassemble matter and process information but is their vision realistic? 'Soft Machines' explains why the nanoworld is so different to the macro-world that we are all familar with and shows how it has more in common with biology than conventional engineering.

The field of polymer science has advanced and expanded considerably in recent years, encompassing broader ranges of materials and applications. In this book, Fumihiko Tanaka unifies the subject matter, pulling together research to provide an updated and systematic presentation of polymer association and thermoreversible gelation, one of the most rapidly developing areas in polymer science. Starting with a clear exposition of the fundamental laws of polymer physics, subsequent chapters discuss a new theoretical model that combines thermodynamic and rheological theory. Recent developments in polymer physics are explored, along with important case studies on topics such as self-assembly, supramolecules, thermoreversible gels and water-soluble polymers. Throughout the book, a balance is maintained between theoretical descriptions and practical applications, helping the reader to understand complex physical phenomena and their relevance in industry. This book has wide interdisciplinary appeal and is aimed at students and researchers in physics, chemistry and materials science.