Moments and distribution function of polymer chains

Abstract

Methods are presented for facilitating the calculation of even moments R2p end to end vector R and for the inference of the probability distribution in the absence of excluded volume effects. The gain in efficiency of moment calculations is several hundredfold for the first 10 moments, 0 ≤ p ≤ 10. The proposed inference scheme is similar to the Hermite expansion from a least square standpoint but differs in choice of weight function. Tests on freely rotating chains exhibit quantitatively useful convergence for all R, including chains with too few bonds to permit ring closure. Copyright © 1976 American Institute of Physics.