title: First-Order Wetting Transitions under Gravity.
abstract: We discuss the effect of a gravitational field on the first-order wetting transition of a liquid layer on a horizontal surface. Gravity limits the thickness of the wetting layer and leads to a smooth first-order transition line Deltaµw(T, g) in the wetting phase diagram of chemical potential difference from bulk coexistence, Deltaµ identical with µ - µc, temperature T, and gravitational acceleration g. Consequences for the interpretation of wetting experiments are pointed out. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, Düsseldorf, D-40225, Germany
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blossey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oligschleger