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The European Physical Journal B
ISSN: 1434-6028 (printed version)
ISSN: 1434-6036 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 2 Issue 3 (1998) pp 347-349
Novel pattern formation in the collapse process of floating monolayer at the air-water interface
E. Hatta (1) (a), H. Hosoi (1), H. Akiyama (1) (b), T. Ishii (2), K. Mukasa (1)
(1) Nanoelectronics Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060, Japan
(2) School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230, Japan
Received: 8 July 1997 / Accepted: 4 November 1997
Abstract: We have observed a remarkable two-armed spiral in the collapse process of a floating monolayer at the air-water interface by phase contrast microscopy. This demonstrates that the floating monolayer as a form of soft condensed matter reorganizes itself due to a certain kind of macroscopic or collective behavior of molecules as it collapses. This pattern formation is caused by the breakdown of a critical dynamical balance between the deformation of solid domain and the applied surface pressure. The fragility as well as the flexibility of the floating monolayer can be associated with the observed pattern growth. There are also observed interesting, periodically arranged collections of molecules in numerous collapsed regions.
PACS. 68.18.+p Langmuir-Blodgett films - 68.35.Rh Phase transitions and critical phenomena - 82.40.Ck Pattern formation in vortices-diffusion systems
(a) email: hatta@nano.eng.hokudai.ac.jp
(b) Present address: Honda MOTOR CO., LTD.
Online publication: May 27, 1998
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