Eur. Phys. J. B 1, 313-317 (1998)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050188

Scattering from small colloidal particles in a semidilute polymer solution

FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics, Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Corresponding author: ^a sear@chem.ucla.edu

Received: 7 July 1997
Revised: 12 November 1997
Accepted: 19 November 1997
Published online: 15 February 1998

Abstract

The correlations between the segments of a semidilute polymer solution are found to induce correlations in the positions of small particles added to the solution. Small means a diameter much less than the polymer's correlation length. In the presence of polymer the particles behave as if they attracted each other. It is shown how the polymer's correlation length may be determined from a scattering experiment performed on the spheres.