The subject of this research is to investigate the basic physics of polymer gels, in particular their moleculer and microscopic structure, the kinetics of gelation, and the diffusion of particles and polymers in gels. The problem of probe diffusion in gels has a direct bearing on the practical problems of electrophoresis, and on the fundamental problem of polymer diffusion in random media. The primary experimental tools that will be used are static and dynamic laser light scattering. An investigation of the vibrational dynamics of gels using inelastic neutron scattering and Raman spectroscopy is also proposed. The experimental work will be complemented by computer simulations of gels. This effort should lead to a better understanding of the properties gels as materials.
