Advisor(s)

Kendrick A. Agapito

Lou Serafin M. Lozada

Abstract

Polymer physics studies the structure and dynamics of polymers and polymeric systems. Results from polymer physics have been used in various fields such as biology, polymer processing, and electronics. Mechanical analogs like granular chain have been utilized in studying polymer dynamics as they are able to demonstrate coarsed-grained behavior of polymer motion while still being accurate about a polymer's properties at a larger length scale. In this study, vibrated granular chain of beads was used as an analog system to represent the polymer motion in a solution. The granular chain was confined to a circular container. Its both ends were fixed at designated positions on the wall of the container, whose bottom surface was made of a monolayer of randomly distributed identical beads to provide random motion to each bead and simulate polymer-solvent interaction. Different amplitudes and frequencies were applied to the system. Statistical properties of chain dynamics were analyzed using video analysis. These properties were correlated to different vibration parameters and distance between the ends of the chain. From the results it was found out that anomalous sub-diffusion was experienced by the beads. The diffusion coefficients as a function of bead index (position of bead along the chain) follow a platykurtic distribution suggesting effect of container size and chain geometry (length, bead size). These results can suggest the feasibility of using a vibrated granular chain as a model to describe polymeric structure and motion.

Keywords: granular chains, vibration, polymer dynamics, diffusion

Share

COinS
 

Dynamics of a Vertically Vibrated Doubly Tethered Granular Chain

Polymer physics studies the structure and dynamics of polymers and polymeric systems. Results from polymer physics have been used in various fields such as biology, polymer processing, and electronics. Mechanical analogs like granular chain have been utilized in studying polymer dynamics as they are able to demonstrate coarsed-grained behavior of polymer motion while still being accurate about a polymer's properties at a larger length scale. In this study, vibrated granular chain of beads was used as an analog system to represent the polymer motion in a solution. The granular chain was confined to a circular container. Its both ends were fixed at designated positions on the wall of the container, whose bottom surface was made of a monolayer of randomly distributed identical beads to provide random motion to each bead and simulate polymer-solvent interaction. Different amplitudes and frequencies were applied to the system. Statistical properties of chain dynamics were analyzed using video analysis. These properties were correlated to different vibration parameters and distance between the ends of the chain. From the results it was found out that anomalous sub-diffusion was experienced by the beads. The diffusion coefficients as a function of bead index (position of bead along the chain) follow a platykurtic distribution suggesting effect of container size and chain geometry (length, bead size). These results can suggest the feasibility of using a vibrated granular chain as a model to describe polymeric structure and motion.

Keywords: granular chains, vibration, polymer dynamics, diffusion

 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.