Cluster formation in two-Yukawa fluids.
We present a different and efficient method for implementing the analytical solution of Ornstein-Zernike equation for two-Yukawa fluids in the mean spherical approximation. We investigate, in particular, the conditions for the formation of an extra low-Q peak in the structure factor, which we interpret as due to cluster formation in the two-Yukawa fluid when the interparticle potential is composed of a short-range attraction and a long-range repulsion. We then apply this model to interpret the small angle neutron scattering data for protein solutions at moderate concentrations and find out that the presence of a peak centered at Q=0 (zero-Q peak) besides the regular interaction peak due to charged proteins implies an existence of long-range attractive interactions besides the charge repulsion.
Liu
Yun
Y
Department of Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. yunliu@mit.edu
Chen
Wei-Ren
WR
Chen
Sow-Hsin
SH