Topological Interactions In Ring Polymers (springer Theses)
by Davide Michieletto /
2016 / English / PDF
4.7 MB Download
Ring polymers are one of the last big mysteries in polymer
physics, and this thesis tackles the problem of describing their
behaviour when interacting in dense solutions and with complex
environments and reports key findings that help shed light on
these complex issues. The systems investigated are not restricted
to artificial polymer systems, but also cover biologically
inspired ensembles, contributing to the broad applicability and
interest of the conclusions reached. One of the most remarkable
findings is the unambiguous evidence that rings inter-penetrate
when in dense solutions; here this behaviour is shown to lead to
the emergence of a glassy state solely driven by the topology of
the constituents. This novel glassy state is unconventional in
its nature and, thanks to its universal properties inherited from
polymer physics, will attract the attention of a wide range of
physicists in the years to come.
Ring polymers are one of the last big mysteries in polymer
physics, and this thesis tackles the problem of describing their
behaviour when interacting in dense solutions and with complex
environments and reports key findings that help shed light on
these complex issues. The systems investigated are not restricted
to artificial polymer systems, but also cover biologically
inspired ensembles, contributing to the broad applicability and
interest of the conclusions reached. One of the most remarkable
findings is the unambiguous evidence that rings inter-penetrate
when in dense solutions; here this behaviour is shown to lead to
the emergence of a glassy state solely driven by the topology of
the constituents. This novel glassy state is unconventional in
its nature and, thanks to its universal properties inherited from
polymer physics, will attract the attention of a wide range of
physicists in the years to come.
