DYNAMIC SCATTERING PROPERTIES OF BRANCHED POLYMERS IN THE HIGH-WAVE VECTOR REGION

An analysis of dynamic scattering behavior of branched polymers in the high-wave vector region is presented. In particular the first cumulan t of the dynamic structure factor OMEGA(q) is examined. This quantity is calculated using the standard formula which defines OMEGA(q) within a proportionality constant as a ratio of the generalized mobility M(q ) and the static structure factor S(q), where q is the amplitude of th e scattering wave vector. The latter quantity has already been calcula ted by Benoit et al. who obtained a general formula for a branched pol ymer with an arbitrary architecture. Here, this calculation is extende d to the mobility M(q) including hydrodynamic interaction with the ang ular pre-averaged Oseen tensor. This result may be useful in the cases where the measurement of the first cumulant by quasi-elastic scatteri ng techniques can be made to complete the information obtained by the absolute intensity measurements. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.