Physics – Condensed Matter – Soft Condensed Matter
Scientific paper
2011-08-17
Eur. Phys. J. E 34, 125 (2011)
Physics
Condensed Matter
Soft Condensed Matter
13 pages, 12 figures, revised, matches version accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal E
Scientific paper
10.1140/epje/i2011-11125-5
The evolution of an initially prepared distribution of micron sized colloidal particles, trapped at a fluid interface and under the action of their mutual capillary attraction, is analyzed by using Brownian dynamics simulations. At a separation \lambda\ given by the capillary length of typically 1 mm, the distance dependence of this attraction exhibits a crossover from a logarithmic decay, formally analogous to two-dimensional gravity, to an exponential decay. We discuss in detail the adaption of a particle-mesh algorithm, as used in cosmological simulations to study structure formation due to gravitational collapse, to the present colloidal problem. These simulations confirm the predictions, as far as available, of a mean-field theory developed previously for this problem. The evolution is monitored by quantitative characteristics which are particularly sensitive to the formation of highly inhomogeneous structures. Upon increasing \lambda\ the dynamics show a smooth transition from the spinodal decomposition expected for a simple fluid with short-ranged attraction to the self-gravitational collapse scenario.
Bleibel J.
Dietrich Sarah
Domínguez Adriel
Oettel Martin
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