Description of the fluctuating colloid-polymer interface

Abstract

To describe the full spectrum of surface fluctuations of the interface between phase-separated colloid-polymer mixtures from low scattering vector q (classical capillary wave theory) to high q (bulk-like fluctuations), one must take account of the interface's bending rigidity. We find that the bending rigidity is negative and that on approach to the critical point it vanishes proportionally to the interfacial tension. Both features are in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations.

5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett

References in corpus (1)

• Capillary Waves in a Colloid-Polymer Interface

Cited by in corpus (2)

• On the spectrum of fluctuations of a liquid surface: From the molecular scale to the macroscopic scale
• From density to interface fluctuations: the origin of wavelength dependence in surface tensions