Related papers: Capillary Adhesion at the Nanometer Scale
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are employed to investigate the capillary fluctuations of steps on the surface of a model metal system. The fluctuation spectrum, characterized by the wave number ($k$) dependence of the mean squared…
The surface free energy, or surface tension, of a liquid interface gives rise to a pressure jump when the interface is curved. Here we show that a similar capillary pressure arises at the interface of soft solids. We present experimental…
The relaxation dynamics of thermal capillary waves for nanoscale liquid films on anisotropic-slip substrates are investigated, using both molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and a Langevin model. The anisotropy of slip on substrates is…
We present a detailed analysis of the effective force between two smooth spherical colloids floating at a fluid interface due to deformations of the interface. The results hold in general and are applicable independently of the source of…
Recent developments in fabrication techniques enabled the production of nano- and angstrom-scale conduits. While scientists are able to conduct experimental studies to demonstrate extreme evaporation rates from these capillaries,…
We investigate the shape and mechanical properties of liquid interfaces down to nanometer scale by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with in situ micromanipulation techniques. In both cases, the…
Capillary bridges can form between colloids immersed in a two phase fluid, e.g., in a binary liquid mixture, if the surface of the colloids prefers the species other than the one favored in the bulk liquid. Here, we study the formation of…
The capillary flow of a Newtonian and incompressible fluid in an axially symmetric horizontal tube with a non-slowly-varying cross section and a boundary slip is considered theoretically under the assumption that the Reynolds number is…
Atomistic simulations are used to test the equations of continuum contact mechanics in nanometer scale contacts. Nominally spherical tips, made by bending crystals or cutting crystalline or amorphous solids, are pressed into a flat, elastic…
A sessile liquid drop can deform the substrate on which it rests if the solid is sufficiently "soft". In this paper we compute the detailed spatial structure of the capillary forces exerted by the drop on the solid substrate using a model…
Liquid flow propelled by capillary forces is one of the most important transport mechanisms in porous environments. It is governed by a fascinating interplay of interfacial, viscous drag as well as gravitational forces which liquids…
Aqueous capillary liquid bridges are ubiquitous in nature and in technological processes. Here, we comparatively investigate capillary bridges formed between three distinct types of surfaces: (i) hydrophilic glass, (ii) hydrophobic…
Capillary suspensions are three-phase mixtures containing a solid particulate phase, a continuous liquid phase, and a second immiscible liquid forming capillary bridges between particles. Capillary suspensions are encountered in a wide…
Nanometer-sized columns of condensed water molecules are created by an atomic-resolution force microscope operated in ambient conditions. Unusual stepwise decrease of the force gradient associated with the thin water bridge in the…
We calculate the meniscus location in tapered capillaries under the influence of pressure difference and dielectrophoretic forces with and without gravity. We find that the meniscus location can be a discontinuous function of the pressure…
When a mixture is confined, one of the phases can condense out. This condensate, which is otherwise metastable in the bulk, is stabilized by the presence of surfaces. In a sphere-plane geometry, routinely used in atomic force microscope…
We prove the rigidity, among sets of finite perimeter, of volume-preserving critical points of the capillary energy in the half space, in the case where the prescribed interior contact angle is between $90^\circ$ and $120^\circ$. No…
The interior of nanoscale crystals experiences stress that compensates the capillary forces and that can be large, in the order of 1 GPa. Various studies have speculated on whether and how this surface-induced stress affects the stability…
This study investigates the fingering instability that forms during stretching of capillary suspensions with and without added nanoparticles. The dewetting process is observed using a transparent lifted Hele-Shaw cell. The liquid bridge is…
A paperclip can float on water. Drops of mercury refuse to spread on a surface. These capillary phenomena are macroscopic manifestations of molecular interactions, and can be explained in terms of surface tension. For students, the concept…