STATISTICAL-MECHANICS OF HELICAL WORMLIKE CHAINS .10. DIPOLE-MOMENTS, ELECTRIC BIREFRINGENCE, AND ELECTRIC DICHROISM

The mean-square dipole moment, electric birefringence (Kerr constant), and electric linear dichroism of polymer molecules are evaluated on the basis of the helical wormlike chain on which dipole moments, dipole transition moments, and static and optical polarizabilities are arrayed with respect to its localized coordinate systems. Spherical dipole moment vectors are introduced along with the spherical polarizability tensors used previously in the study of the anisotropic light scattering. Evaluation is also carried out for the extreme cases of the helical wormlike chain, i.e., the rigid rod, regular helix, random coil, and wormlike chain. An analysis of experimental data is made for the mean-square dipole moments of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(n-butyl isocyanate), and for the electric dichroism of the latter. In the Appendix, analytical expressions for the first and second order angular correlation functions are given. © 1979 American Institute of Physics.