Intended
Audience: Seniors/graduate students who are
enthusiastic about understanding the physics of polymers.
Only a basic working knowledge of calculus, probability, chemistry and physics
is assumed.
Aim: To develop the
fundamental concepts required to understand polymers melts, solutions and gels
in terms of
both structure and dynamics.
Instructor: Canan Atýlgan
– office: 2058; phone: 9523; e-mail: canan@sabanciuniv.edu
Assistant: Elif Özden Yenigün – office: 2102;
phone: 2111; e-mail: elifozden@sabanciuniv.edu
Hours: Lecture – Tue.
13:40 – 15:30 (L061,L065), Thu. 14:40 – 15:30 (L048)
Textbook: Rubinstein
& Colby, Polymer Physics (2003). ISBN: 0-19-852059-X
Evaluation
will be based two term exams (25 % each), final (30 %), assignments (10 %) and
participation (10 %).
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week 1: What is a
polymer? A statistical view on chain molecules.
Week 2: Basic
definitions: Structure, phases and weight of polymers.
Week 3-4: Ideal
chains: Definition of chain conformation; chain dimensions and their
distributions. Free energy of an ideal chain.
Week 5: Real chains:
Excluded volume and self-avoiding walks. Deformation of
chains. Temperature effects.
Week 6: Midterm I (Mar. 20) Introduction to
polymer thermodynamics
Week 7: Thermodynamics
of mixing: Energy – entropy of mixing. Phase diagrams. Dilute solutions.
____________________________________________________Spring break
Week 8: Polymer solutions: Type
of solvents. Osmotic pressure.
Week 9: Definition of polymer
networks. Random branching and gelation: Percolation.
Branching with and without gelation. Mean-field and scaling
models of gelation.
Week 10:
Networks and gels: Rubber elasticity. Swelling.
Week 11: Viscoelasticity.
Week 12: Midterm II (May 8) Introduction to
dynamics. Definition of relaxation phenomena.
Week 13: Dynamics
of unentangled polymers: Rouse and Zimm models.
Week 14: Dynamics
of entangled polymers. Reptation in melts and semi-dilute solutions.
Course
Organization:
o Problem assignments.
o Occasionally, usage of simulations to reinforce the
concepts.
o Two midterms and a final exam.