X-ray synchrotron study of liquid-vapor interfaces at short length scales: effect of long-range forces and bending energies.
We have investigated the small-scale structure of the liquid-vapor interface using synchrotron x-ray scattering for liquids with different molecular structures and interactions. The effective momentum-dependent surface energy first decreases from its macroscopic value due to the effect of long-range forces, and then increases with increasing wave vector. The results are analyzed using a recent density functional theory. The large wave-vector increase is attributed to a bending energy for which local and nonlocal contributions are equally important.
Mora
S
S
LURE, Centre Universitaire Paris-sud, bâtiment 209D, BP34, F-91898 Orsay cedex, France.
Daillant
J
J
Mecke
K
K
Luzet
D
D
Braslau
A
A
Alba
M
M
Struth
B
B