Reply to comment on “The properties of free polymer surfaces and their effect upon the glass transition temperature of thin polystyrene films" by S.A. Hutcheson and G.B. McKenna

Abstract.In this reply we address the comment by Hutcheson and McKenna regarding our recent manuscript [EPJE 15, 473 (2004)] which studies the embedding of gold (Au) nanoparticles into Polystyrene (PS) surfaces. In particular, we clarify comments concerning the force used to model the embedding process. We also repeat our simulations using correct values for the creep compliance J(t). We show that these new simulations more accurately describe the data presented in our original paper and reinforce our main conclusions regarding the nature of the properties of free polymer surfaces. Finally, we address their inability to reproduce our simulation results by showing that the use of their force [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 076103 (2005)] in our embedding simulations enables us to mimic their own simulation results.