Relaxation dynamics of scale-free polymer networks

Abstract

We focus on polymer networks with a scale-free topology. In the framework of generalized Gaussian structures, by making use of the eigenvalue spectrum of the connectivity matrix, we determined numerically the averaged monomer displacement under external forces and the mechanical relaxation moduli (storage and loss modulus). First, we monitor these physical quantities and additionally the eigenvalue spectrum for structures of different sizes, but with the same γ, which is a parameter that measures the connectivity of the structure. Second, we vary the parameter γ, and we keep constant the size of the structures. This allows us to study in detail the crossover behavior from a simple linear chain to a starlike structure. As expected we encounter a more chainlike behavior for high values of γ, while for small values of γ a more starlike behavior is observed. In the intermediate time (frequency) domain, we encounter regions of constant slope for some intermediate values of γ.