Chapter 8
Self Consistent Field Theory
This chapter introduces the general formulation of Self Consistent Field Theory
(SCFT) and discusses the approximations made in the theory in comparison to modi-
fied iSAFT density functional theory. There are two basic differences. The continuous
gaussian chain model is employed in SCFT and instead of using a particle-based ap-
proach, a field-based approach is used.
8.1 Ideal chain model: Continuous Gaussian chain
The first description in a theoretical description of a polymeric fluid is the model
describing the statistical mechanics associated with the conformational states of a
single polymer chain. In a single polymer chain, the bonding constraints and the
associated potentials between the neighboring segments are referred to as short-range
interferences. While the interactions between the segments that are separated by
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