Distribution of the shape asymmetry of linear and star-branched random walks

✍ Scribed by Gerhard Zifferer

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 788 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1344
• DOI: 10.1002/mats.1997.040060410

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Linear and star‐branched (off‐lattice) random walks with up to F = 96 arms and a total chain‐length of 961 segments have been produced by means of Monte Carlo simulation. The probability distribution of the asphericity δ^*^–a quantity ranging from 0 in case of perfect radical symmetry to 1 for completely elongated (rodlike) shapes–has been calculated. In addition, the correlation between δ^*^ and other shape‐descriptors as well as between δ^*^ and quantities characteristic of the size of configurations have been evaluated. In accordance with existing literature the distribution H(δ^*^) of δ^*^ is found to be very broad in case of linear chains. With increasing number of arms. H(δ^*^) becomes sharper but for F = 96 still ranges within an interval [0, ≈0,05]. Of course, other shape descriptors are directly correlated with the asphericity. Actually, for all functionalities evaluated, the global size of configurations is strongly correlated with δ^*^ as well: the larger the asymmetry the larger the dimensions of the configuration under consideration.