Conformational properties of polymers in anisotropic environments

Abstract

We analyze the conformational properties of polymer macromolecules in solutions in presence of extended structural obstacles of (fractal) dimension $\varepsilon_d$ causing the anisotropy of environment. Applying the pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method (PERM), we obtain numerical estimates for scaling exponents and universal shape parameters of polymers in such environments for a wide range $0<\varepsilon_d<2$ in space dimension $d=3$. An analytical description of the model is developed within the des Cloizeaux direct polymer renormalization scheme. Both numerical and analytical studies qualitatively confirm the existence of two characteristic length scales of polymer chain in directions parallel and perpendicular to the extended defects.