Abstract
We have investigated chain dynamics of an unentangled polybutadiene melt via molecular dynamics simulations and neutron spin echo experiments. Good short-time statistics allows for the first experimental confirmation of subdiffusive motion of polymer chains for times less than the Rouse time (τR) confirming behavior in this regime observed in simulations. Analysis of simulation trajectories obtained over several Rouse times reveals non-Gaussian segmental displacements for all time and length scales. These results, particularly non-Gaussian displacements on large time- and length scales, demonstrate the importance of intermolecular correlations on chain dynamics. Rouse-type analytical models fail to account for this non-Gaussianity leading to large deviations between the experimental dynamic structure factor and model predictions.
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