| Abstract: | Wertheim's theory is used to determine the critical properties of chains formed by m tangent spheres interacting through the pair potential u(r). It is shown that within Wertheim's theory the critical temperature and compressibility factor reach a finite non-zero value for infinitely long chains, whereas the critical density and pressure vanish as m -1.5. Analysing the zero density limit of Wertheim's equation or state for chains it is found that the critical temperature of the infinitely long chain can be obtained by solving a simple equation which involves the second virial coefficient of the reference monomer fluid and the second virial coefficient between a monomer and a dimer. According to Wertheim's theory, the critical temperature of an infinitely long chain (i.e. the Θ temperature) corresponds to the temperature where the second virial coefficient of the monomer is equal to 2/3 of the second virial coefficient between a monomer and dimer. This is a simple and useful result. By computing the second virial coefficient of the monomer and that between a monomer and a dimer, we have determined the Θ temperature that follows from Wertheim's theory for several kinds of chains. In particular, we have evaluated Θ for chains made up of monomer units interacting through the Lennard-Jones potential, the square well potential and the Yukawa potential. For the square well potential, the Θ temperature that follows from Wertheim's theory is given by a simple analytical expression. It is found that the ratio of Θ to the Boyle and critical temperatures of the monomer decreases with the range of the potential. |
