title: Preferred sizes and ordering in surface nanobubble populations.
abstract: Two types of homogeneous surface nanobubble populations, created by different means, are analyzed statistically on both their sizes and spatial positions. In the first type (created by droplet deposition, case A) the bubble size R is found to be distributed according to a generalized gamma law with a preferred radius R*=20 nm. The radial distribution function shows a preferred spacing at approximately 5.5R*. These characteristics do not show up in comparable Monte Carlo simulated configurations of random packings of hard disks with the same size distribution and the same density, suggesting a structuring effect in the nanobubble formation process. The nanobubble size distribution of the second population type (created by ethanol-water exchange, case B) is a mixture of two clearly separated distributions, hence, with two preferred radii. The local ordering is less significant, due to the looser packing of the nanobubbles.
authors.affiliation: Physics of Fluids, Faculty of Science and Technology and JM Burgers Centre for Fluid Dynamics and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bram M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Borkent
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schönherr
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Caër
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dollet
authors.forename: Detlef
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lohse
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D005740:Gases