  A simple electrostatic theory of condensation of rod-like polyelectrolytes
under influence of polyvalent ions is proposed. It is based on the idea that
Manning condensation of ions results in formation of the Wigner crystal on a
background of a bundle of rods. It is shown that, depending on a single
dimensionless parameter, this can be the densely packed three-dimensional
Wigner crystal or the two-dimensional crystal on the rod surfaces. For DNA the
location of charge on the spiral results in a model of the one-dimensional
Wigner crystal. It is also argued that the Wigner crystal idea can be applied
to self-assembly of other polyelectrolytes, for example, colloids and DNA-lipid
complexes.
