where λ λ B represents the Bjerrum length and l c h a r g e the distance between neighboring charged monomers. In this case the Coulomb interactions dominate over the thermal interactions and counterion condensation is favored. For many standard polyelectrolytes, this phenomenon is relevant, since the distance between neighboring monomer charges typically ranges between 2 and 3 Å and λ λ B ≈ ≈ 7 Å in water. The Manning theory states that the fraction of "condensed" counter ions is 1 − − 1 / Γ Γ , where "condensed" means that the counter ions are located within the Manning radius R M . At infinite dilution the Manning radius diverges and the actual concentration of ions close to the charged rod is reduced (in agreement with the law of dilution).