  The dynamics of flexible polymers in dilute solutions is studied taking into
account the hydrodynamic memory, as a consequence of fluid inertia. As distinct
from the Rouse-Zimm (RZ) theory, the Boussinesq friction force acts on the
monomers (beads) instead of the Stokes force, and the motion of the solvent is
governed by the nonstationary Navier-Stokes equations. The obtained generalized
RZ equation is solved approximately. It is shown that the time correlation
functions describing the polymer motion essentially differ from those in the RZ
model. The mean-square displacement (MSD) of the polymer coil is at short times
\~ t^2 (instead of ~ t). At long times the MSD contains additional (to the
Einstein term) contributions, the leading of which is ~ t^(1/2). The relaxation
of the internal normal modes of the polymer differs from the traditional
exponential decay. It is displayed in the long-time tails of their correlation
functions, the longest-lived being ~ t^(-3/2) in the Rouse limit and t^(-5/2)
in the Zimm case, when the hydrodynamic interaction is strong. It is discussed
that the found peculiarities, in particular an effectively slower diffusion of
the polymer coil, should be observable in dynamic scattering experiments.
