THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES TO KINETICS AT THE COLLAPSE TRANSITION OF A HOMOPOLYMER

We discuss some recent theoretical studies of the kinetics of the coll apse transition in homopolymers. An isolated polymer is modelled using computer simulation, and a time-dependent mean-field theory. The mean -field theory is analysed analytically for early stages, and for short polymers the equations are studied numerically. The results of simula tion and theory are compared yielding, we argue, a consistent physical picture. Quantitative comparisons are not yet given, but seem relativ ely promising.