| Abstract: | We study the effect of the memory function on the coherent scattering function of a dilute polymer solution, taking into account hydrodynamic interactions among the polymer segments. The line shape, given by a sum of two exponentials, is very accurate numerically for ka ? 3 (with a the length of a polymer segment) and for times such that ω0(k)t ? 1.5 with ω0(k) the initial slope]. However, this approximation to the scattering function is not nearly so accurate at the smaller values of ka encountered in light scattering experiments. The amplitudes and relaxation times associated with the two exponentials are found to be markedly dependent on the strength of the hydrodynamic interactions. |
