  All observations of photodegradation and self healing follow the predictions
of the correlated chromophore domain model. [Ramini et.al. Polym. Chem., 2013,
4, 4948.] In the present work, we generalize the domain model to describe the
effects of an electric field by including induced dipole interactions between
molecules in a domain by means of a self-consistent field approach. This
electric field correction is added to the statistical mechanical model to
calculate the distribution of domains that are central to healing. Also
included in the model are the dynamics due to the formation of an irreversibly
damaged species. As in previous studies, the model with a one-dimensional
domain best explains all experimental data of the population as a function of
time, temperature, intensity, concentration, and now applied electric field.
Though the nature of a domain is yet to be determined, the fact that only
one-dimensional domain models are consistent with observations suggests that
they might be made of correlated dye molecules along polymer chains.
