Structure of Quasi-One Dimensional Ribbon Colloid Suspensions

We report the results of an experimental study of a colloid fluid confined to a quasi-one dimensional (q1D) ribbon channel. Our findings confirm the principal predictions of previous theoretical studies of such systems. These are (1) that the density distribution of the liquid transverse to the ribbon channel exhibits stratification and (2) that even at the highest density the order along the strata, as measured by the longitudinal pair correlation function, is characteristic of a liquid.