How to Calculate Correlation Functions and Persistence Length in a 1D Polymer?

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WarnK
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Homework Statement


1D polymer, fixed segment length a
If the angle between segment j and j+1 is 0, the energy is 0
If the angle is pi the energy is +2J.

Compute the correlation function [tex]<s_i s_{i+n}>[/tex], where [tex]s_j = \pm 1[/tex] denotes the direction of segment j

Find the persistence length Lp, defined through
[tex]<s_i s_{i+n}> = e^{-|n|a/Lp}[/tex]

Find an expression for the end-to-end distance [tex]S(N) = <(x_N - x_0)^2>^{1/2}[/tex] as a function of temperature and the number of links N

Homework Equations


?


The Attempt at a Solution


[tex]<s_i s_{i+n}> = \frac{ Tr s_i s_{i+n} e^{-\beta H} }{ Tr e^{-\beta H} }[/tex]

But I don't know any hamiltonian? Or even what sort of trace to do.
The problem sort of reminds me of the 'XY'-modell for spins on a 1d lattice, but I don't really understand how to make any use of that.
 
Last edited:
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WarnK said:

Homework Statement


1D polymer, fixed segment length a
If the angle between segment j and j+1 is 0, the energy is 0
If the angle is pi the energy is +2J.

Compute the correlation function [tex]<s_i s_{i+n}>[/tex], where [tex]s_j = \pm 1[/tex] denotes the direction of segment j

Find the persistence length Lp, defined through
[tex]<s_i s_{i+n}> = e^{-|n|a/Lp}[/tex]

Find an expression for the end-to-end distance [tex]S(N) = <(x_N - x_0)^2>^{1/2}[/tex] as a function of temperature and the number of links N

Homework Equations


?


The Attempt at a Solution


[tex]<s_i s_{i+n}> = \frac{ Tr s_i s_{i+n} e^{-\beta H} }{ Tr e^{-\beta H} }[/tex]

But I don't know any hamiltonian? Or even what sort of trace to do.
The problem sort of reminds me of the 'XY'-modell for spins on a 1d lattice, but I don't really understand how to make any use of that.

You can write down a Hamiltonian.
It will be the sum of the energy of all the adjacent pairs, taking into account the rule they give. You want an expression that gives zero when [itex]s_j = s_{j+1}[/itex] and which gives 2J when [itex]s_j = -s_{j+1}[/itex]. This is simply [itex]J(1-s_j s_{j+1})[/itex].
 
So, starting with a Hamiltonian like
[tex]H = J \sum_{j=1}^{N-1} (1-s_j s_{j+1})[/tex]
and proceeding to calculate the partition function much the same way as for the 1d ising chain,
[tex]Z = Tr e^{-\beta H} = \dots = 2 e^{-\beta J (N-1)} [2 cosh(\beta J)]^{N-1}[/tex]
then noteing I can write
[tex]<s_j s_{j+n}> = \frac{1}{Z \beta^n} \frac{d^n Z}{d J^n}[/tex]
I end up with
[tex]<s_j s_{j+n}> = tanh(\beta J)^n[/tex]
is this really right? feels like I missed something

thanks for the help!
 
Last edited:
WarnK said:
So, starting with a Hamiltonian like
[tex]H = J \sum_{j=1}^{N-1} (1-s_j s_{j+1})[/tex]
and proceeding to calculate the partition function much the same way as for the 1d ising chain,
[tex]Z = Tr e^{-\beta H} = \dots = 2 e^{-\beta J (N-1)} [2 cosh(\beta J)]^{N-1}[/tex]
then noteing I can write
[tex]<s_j s_{j+n}> = \frac{1}{Z \beta^n} \frac{d^n Z}{d J^n}[/tex]
I end up with
[tex]<s_j s_{j+n}> = tanh(\beta J)^n[/tex]
is this really right? feels like I missed something

thanks for the help!

the last equation should be (tanh(\beta J))^n
 
physics0 said:
the last equation should be (tanh(\beta J))^n

how can we calculate $$S^2(N) = <(x_N-x_0)^2>$$ in above case?
 
How one can calculate

S(N)2 = <(xN-x0)2>

thanx