IDEAL D-DIMENSIONAL POLYMER NETWORKS ON D(F)-DIMENSIONAL FRACTALS

Equilibrium swelling and stress-strain behaviour of d-dimensional poly mer networks on fractal lattices is studied in single-chain approximat ion using the equivalence between various unit arrangements of an N-se gment chain on a fractal and the diffusion of a random walker on fract als. The results indicate that for chains on fractal lattices only the O'Shaugnessy-Procaccia (OP) approach of the propagator function of th e diffusing particle should be used as minimal model. The OP case is i n accord with the physical intuition, since it increases the elastic f orce and modulus due to the decrease of configurations available durin g stretching.