Entropy-induced Microphase Separation in Hard Diblock Copolymers

Whereas entropy can induce phase behavior that is as rich as seen in energetic systems, microphase separation remains a very rare phenomenon in entropic systems. In this paper, we present a density functional approach to study the possibility of entropy-driven microphase separation in diblock copolymers. Our model system consists of copolymers composed of freely-jointed slender hard rods. The two types of monomeric segments have comparable lengths, but a significantly different diameter, the latter difference providing the driving force for the phase separation. At the same time these systems can also exhibit liquid crystalline phases. We treat this system in the appropriate generalization of the Onsager approximation to chain-like particles. Using a linear stability (bifurcation) analysis, we analytically determine the onset of the microseparated and the nematic phases for long chains. We find that for very long chains the microseparated phase always preempts the nematic. In the limit of infinitely long chains, the correlations within the chain become Gaussian and the approach becomes exact. This allows us to define a Gaussian limit in which the theory strongly simplifies and the competition between microphase separation and liquid crystal formation can be studied essentially analytically. Our main results are phase diagrams as a function of the effective diameter difference, the segment composition and the length ratio of the segments. We also determine the amplitude of the positional order as a function of position along the chain at the onset of the microphase separation instability. Finally, we give suggestions as to how this type of entropy-induced microphase separation could be observed experimentally.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Mass spectra of radially and orbitally excited states of mesons

Meson mass spectra, evaluated in the framework of the relativistic model of quasi-independent quarks, are presented. Mass values are obtained with the help of numerical calculations based on the Dirac equation and by phenomenological mass formulae. The Dirac equation involves the potential, which is sum of the vector quasi-Coulombic potential and the scalar linear rising confinement potential. The phenomenological mass formulae are applied to excited meson states consisting of u-, d-quarks and antiquarks with isotopical spin I=1. A comparison of the evaluated mass spectra with existing data is performed. Problems of identification of some meson states in vector and scalar channels are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, Talk given at 12th Lomonosov Conference on Elementary Particle Physics, Moscow, August 25-31, 200