Effect of many chain interactions on lateral motion in polymer melts: a model for the dynamics of linear chain systems

A model is presented for the lateral motion of linear polymer chains in a monodisperse melt. The model incorporates the constraining effect that neighboring chains have on lateral motion of a given chain, although this feature is not included in its full complexity. The cooperative motion of the various chains results in a lateral chain motion. The behavior which results from this lateral motion for the bead mean-squared displacement, terminal relaxation time, center of mass diffusion constant and the relaxation modulus are explored within this model and found in excellent agreement with experimental results