Arm retraction potential of branched polymers in the absence of dynamic dilution.

We study the stress relaxation of model polymer networks containing low contents of star shaped and linear dangling polymers. As compared with their melts, the behavior of star and dangling polymers leads to a dynamic response with unprecedented large relaxation times. By comparing data of star melts with those corresponding to stars and dangling chains residing in polymer networks, we were able to identify the effects of dynamic dilution clearly. Since in polymer networks the dynamic dilution effect is suppressed, we were able by the first time to experimentally test the validity of the potential for arm retraction proposed by Pearson and Helfand.