title: X-ray synchrotron study of liquid-vapor interfaces at short length scales: effect of long-range forces and bending energies.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: LURE, Centre Universitaire Paris-sud, bâtiment 209D, BP34, F-91898 Orsay cedex, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daillant
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mecke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luzet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Braslau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alba
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Struth