Collapse of Randomly Self-Interacting Polymers

Abstract

We use complete enumeration and Monte Carlo techniques to study self--avoiding walks with random nearest--neighbor interactions described by $v_0q_iq_j$, where $q_i=\pm1$ is a quenched sequence of ``charges'' on the chain. For equal numbers of positive and negative charges ($N_+=N_-$), the polymer with $v_0>0$ undergoes a transition from self--avoiding behavior to a compact state at a temperature $θ\approx1.2v_0$. The collapse temperature $θ(x)$ decreases with the asymmetry $x=|N_+-N_-|/(N_++N_-)$