CHAIN BEHAVIOR IN A POLYDISPERSE BRUSH - DEPRESSION OF CRITICAL FLUCTUATIONS

Anomalous end-to-end distance fluctuations [delta-h2] approximately N2 characteristic of a monodisperse brush are strongly depressed even in the case of relatively narrow continuous chain length distribution. The magnitude of fluctuation for a typical chain decreases with increasing inhomogeneity parameter q = N(w)/N(n) -1 according to a power law [delta-h2] approximately q-1/2, implying an analogy between q and the deviation from the critical point. A q-N diagram showing different regimes of asymptotic behavior is constructed.