English

Solvable model of a polymer in random media with long ranged disorder correlations

Disordered Systems and Neural Networks 2009-10-31 v1 Statistical Mechanics

Abstract

We present an exactly solvable model of a Gaussian (flexible) polymer chain in a quenched random medium. This is the case when the random medium obeys very long range quadratic correlations. The model is solved in dd spatial dimensions using the replica method, and practically all the physical properties of the chain can be found. In particular the difference between the behavior of a chain that is free to move and a chain with one end fixed is elucidated. The interesting finding is that a chain that is free to move in a quadratically correlated random potential behaves like a free chain with R2LR^2 \sim L, where RR is the end to end distance and LL is the length of the chain, whereas for a chain anchored at one end R2L4R^2 \sim L^4. The exact results are found to agree with an alternative numerical solution in d=1d=1 dimensions. The crossover from long ranged to short ranged correlations of the disorder is also explored.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0003136,
  title  = {Solvable model of a polymer in random media with long ranged disorder correlations},
  author = {Yohannes Shiferaw and Yadin Y. Goldschmidt},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0003136},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

REVTeX, 28 pages, 12 figures in eps format