Small Angle Neutron Scattering Observation of Chain Retraction after a Large Step Deformation
- Forschungszentrum Juelich, Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, D-52425 Juelich (Germany)
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)
- Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle-Wittenberg, Fachbereich Physik, D-06099 Halle (Germany)
- Abteilung Spallationsquelle, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland)
The process of retraction in entangled linear chains after a fast nonlinear stretch was detected from time-resolved but quenched small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on long, well-entangled polyisoprene chains. The statically obtained SANS data cover the relevant time regime for retraction, and they provide a direct, microscopic verification of this nonlinear process as predicted by the tube model. Clear, quantitative agreement is found with recent theories of contour length fluctuations and convective constraint release, using parameters obtained mainly from linear rheology. The theory captures the full range of scattering vectors once the crossover to fluctuations on length scales below the tube diameter is accounted for.
- OSTI ID:
- 20696576
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 95; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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