Scaling of polymers in aligned rods

TL;DR

This study investigates how self-avoiding polymers behave in environments with aligned rods, revealing significant elongation and differing size exponents, supported by computer simulations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into polymer scaling in aligned rod environments, contrasting previous predictions with simulation evidence.

Findings

Polymers are highly elongated in aligned rod backgrounds.

Vertical and horizontal size exponents differ by a factor of 3.

Results differ from earlier theoretical predictions but are confirmed by simulations.

Abstract

We study the behavior of self avoiding polymers in a background of vertically aligned rods that are either frozen into random positions or free to move horizontally. We find that in both cases the polymer chains are highly elongated, with vertical and horizontal size exponents that differ by a factor of 3. Though these results are different than previous predictions, our results are confirmed by detailed computer simulations.