An effective mean-field method for describing surface effects in polymer layers
The peeling off of an adsorbed flexible macromolecule from a surface under the action of an effective mean field formed due to intermolecular interactions with the ends of other extended chains is considered. It is shown that there is a first order phase transition in the system that is accompanied by a rise of fluctuations, the existence of metastable states, and jumps of the extension and heat capacity of chains.