title: Cross-diffusion-induced convective patterns in microemulsion systems.
abstract: Cross-diffusion phenomena are experimentally shown to be able to induce convective fingering around an initially stable stratification of two microemulsions with different compositions. Upon diffusion of a salt that entrains water and AOT micelles by cross-diffusion, the miscible interface deforms into fingers following the build-up of a non-monotonic density profile in the gravitational field. A diffusion model incorporating cross-diffusion effects provides an explanation for the mechanism of the buoyancy-driven hydrodynamic instability and for the properties of the convective fingers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Budroni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemaigre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Wit
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi