Macromolecular Theory and Simulations Volume 5 issue 1 1996 [doi 10.1002 mats.1996.040050109] Arkady L. Kholodenko; Jack F. Douglas; Thomas A. Vilgis -- Electrostatic rigidity of polyelectrolytes from reparametrizati (original) (raw)

The persistence length I, of a polyelectrolyte chain can be represented as I, = I, + I, where I, is the bare persistence and I, is the electrostatic contribution coming from the effects of electrostatic chain self-interactions. Using a reparametrization-invariant path integral model of semiflexible polymers we find that I, depends on the ionic strength Z as I, -Z-"2. This result accords with experimental observations and recent Monte Carlo simulations. Reparametrization-invariance is apparently an essential constraint in selecting acceptable models of semiflexible polymers.