Thermally excited capillary waves at vapor/liquid interfaces of water–alcohol mixtures

The density profiles of liquid/vapor interfaces of water-alcohol (methanol, ethanol and propanol) mixtures were studied by surface-sensitive synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques. X-ray reflectivity and diffuse scattering measurements, from the pure and mixed liquids, were analyzed in the framewor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physics. Condensed matter 2009-03, Vol.21 (11), p.115105-115105 (5)
Main Authors: Vaknin, David, Bu, Wei, Sung, Jaeho, Jeon, Yoonnam, Kim, Doseok
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Exact sciences and technology
Fluid surfaces and fluid-fluid interfaces
Physics
Surfaces and interfaces
thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
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Summary:The density profiles of liquid/vapor interfaces of water-alcohol (methanol, ethanol and propanol) mixtures were studied by surface-sensitive synchrotron x-ray scattering techniques. X-ray reflectivity and diffuse scattering measurements, from the pure and mixed liquids, were analyzed in the framework of capillary wave theory to address the characteristic length scales of the intrinsic roughness and the shortest capillary wavelength (alternatively, the upper wavevector cutoff in capillary wave theory). Our results establish that the intrinsic roughness is dominated by average interatomic distances. The extracted effective upper wavevector cutoff indicates capillary wave theory breaks down at distances of the order of bulk correlation lengths.
ISSN:0953-8984
1361-648X
DOI:10.1088/0953-8984/21/11/115105