Transitions in Oligomer and Polymer Systems

This volume contains the proceedings of the 28th Europhysics Conference on Macromolecular Physics held in Ulm, Germany, in September 1993. The topic covers a broad scope within the field of polymer science. In its early days, interest was focused on the nature of the melt and of the glass transition. The latter phenomen underwent a pronounced renewal with the advent of the mode coupling theory, and polymers constitute only one class of substances within this context. Consequently, this volume considers the glass transition from different points of view. It is the aim of this publication to demonstrate the state of the art of this evolution by a balanced presentation of the subject that considers experimental work, theory, and computer stimulation techniques.

Glass transition in polymer molecules and networks.- Monte carlo simulation of the glass transition of polymer melts.- Dynamics in disordered systems.- Glass transition of partially ordered macromolecules.- Relaxation in networks strained in the glass-transition regime.- Models of cooperative dynamics near the glass transition.- Polymers and the phase rule.- Phase equilibria in polymer/solvent systems.- Colloidal suspensions as model liquids and solids.