Copolymer at a selective interface and two-dimensional wetting: a grand canonical approach

C. Monthus; T. Garel; H. Orland

doi:10.1007/PL00011066

EPJ

Copolymer at a selective interface and two-dimensional wetting: a grand canonical approach

C. Monthus, T. Garel and H. Orland

Service de Physique Théorique, CEA, CE-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France

Received: 13 April 2000
Published online: 15 September 2000

Abstract

We consider two different problems involving the localization of a single polymer chain: (i) a periodic AB copolymer at a selective fluid-fluid interface, with the upper (resp. lower) fluid attracting A (resp. B) monomers (ii) a homopolymer chain attracted to a hard wall (wetting). Self avoidance is neglected in both models, which enables us to study their localization transition in a grand canonical approach. We recover the results obtained in previous studies via transfer matrix methods. Moreover, we calculate in this way the loop length distribution functions in the localized phase. Some finite size effects are also determined and tested numerically.

PACS: 05.70. Np – Interface and surface thermodynamics / 61.41.+e – Polymers, elastomers, and plastics / 64.70.-p – Specific phase transitions