The Theory of Polymer Dynamics

Over the past twenty years our understanding of polymer solutions has undergone a dramatic evolution. New methods and concepts have extended the frontier of the theory from dilute solutions in which polymers move independently of each other, to concentrated solutions where many polymers entangle with each other. This book provides a comprehensive account of the modern theory for the dynamical properties of polymer solutions. This includes viscoelasticity, diffusion, dynamic light scattering and flow and electric birefringence. Nonlinear viscoelasticity is discussed in detail on the basis of molecular dynamical models. The book fills a gap between classical theory and modern developments and constructs a consistent picture for the dynamics of polymer solutions over the entire concentration range.