Technique for Measurement of Inter-Phase Line Tension in Langmuir Films

ORAL

Abstract

Line tension, the free energy per unit length associated with the line boundary, controls properties such as size and shape of surface domains. It plays an important role in two-dimensional surface phases. It has been extremely difficult to measure this parameter to better than +/-20{\%}. We made a model of the fluid dynamics governing the relaxation of phase domains in Langmuir Films and implemented a numerical solution. Experimentally, a four-roll mill provided symmetric shear forces about a central stagnation point on the 8CB multilayers sitting at air/water interface. 8CB domains were stretched into bola shape and then performed relaxations. We compared relaxations observed with a Brewster-angle microscope to the simulated ones and deduced the line tension driving the relaxation from this comparison. In this way, the relative standard deviation could be remarkably reduced to $<$ 5{\%}.

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Authors

  • Lu Zou

    Kent State University

  • Hyeonjae Kim

    NASA Johnson Space Center, Ursinus College, Purdue University Calumet, University of Notre Dame, GSI, Germany, Florida State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Department of Physics, The University of Akron, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Wright State University, Cornell University, Johannes Gutenberg Universit{\&#034;a}t Mainz, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, Harvey Mudd College, Univ. Akron, Dept. of Geology and Physics, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, The University of Akron

  • Elizabeth K. Mann

    Kent State University

  • Hyeonjae Kim

    NASA Johnson Space Center, Ursinus College, Purdue University Calumet, University of Notre Dame, GSI, Germany, Florida State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Department of Physics, The University of Akron, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Wright State University, Cornell University, Johannes Gutenberg Universit{\&#034;a}t Mainz, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, Harvey Mudd College, Univ. Akron, Dept. of Geology and Physics, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, The University of Akron

  • Hyeonjae Kim

    NASA Johnson Space Center, Ursinus College, Purdue University Calumet, University of Notre Dame, GSI, Germany, Florida State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Department of Physics, The University of Akron, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Wright State University, Cornell University, Johannes Gutenberg Universit{\&#034;a}t Mainz, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, Harvey Mudd College, Univ. Akron, Dept. of Geology and Physics, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, The University of Akron

  • Hyeonjae Kim

    NASA Johnson Space Center, Ursinus College, Purdue University Calumet, University of Notre Dame, GSI, Germany, Florida State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Department of Physics, The University of Akron, Physics Department, Cleveland State University, Wright State University, Cornell University, Johannes Gutenberg Universit{\&#034;a}t Mainz, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Miami University, Case Western Reserve University, Harvey Mudd College, Univ. Akron, Dept. of Geology and Physics, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, The University of Akron