Rupture of an Amphiphile layer on air-water interface

ORAL

Abstract

An amphiphile layer is decorated with tracer particles (mean diameter 50$\mu$m, specific gravity 0.25) on the surface of a tank of water. A jet of water is forced up from the underlying bulk. The jet forces a hole in the amphiphile layer. Its shape forms the subject of this study. The interface between the particle covered and particle free regions is highly ramified presenting a jagged structure that fluctuates in space and time. An attempt is to interpret this observation as the fracture of a quasi two dimensional surface.

*Supported by NSF grant DMR-0201805

Authors

  • Mahesh Bandi

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • John Cressman

    • Krasnow Institute, George Mason University
  • Walter Goldburg

    • University of Pittsburgh