  We use a standard bead-spring model and molecular dynamics simulations to
study the static properties of symmetric linear multiblock copolymer chains and
their blocks under poor solvent conditions in a dilute solution from the regime
close to theta conditions, where the chains adopt a coil-like formation, to the
poorer solvent regime where the chains collapse obtaining a globular formation
and phase separation between the blocks occurs. We choose interaction
parameters as is done for a standard model, i.e., the Lennard-Jones fluid and
we consider symmetric chains, i.e., the multiblock copolymer consists of an
even number $n$ of alternating chemically different A and B blocks of the same
length $N_{A}=N_{B}=N$. We show how usual static properties of the individual
blocks and the whole multiblock chain can reflect the phase behavior of such
macromolecules. Also, how parameters, such as the number of blocks $n$ can
affect properties of the individual blocks, when chains are in a poor solvent
for a certain range of $n$. A detailed discussion of the static properties of
these symmetric multiblock copolymers is also given. Our results in combination
with recent simulation results on the behavior of multiblock copolymer chains
provide a complete picture for the behavior of these macromolecules under poor
solvent conditions, at least for this most symmetrical case. Due to the
standard choice of our parameters, our system can be used as a benchmark for
related models, which aim at capturing the basic aspects of the behavior of
various biological systems.
