Fluids in Extreme Confinement

Franosch T, Lang S, Schilling R (2012)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2012

Journal

Physical Review Letters American Physical Society

Book Volume: 109

Journal Issue: 24

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.240601

Abstract

For extremely confined fluids with a two-dimensional density n in slit geometry of an accessible width L, we prove that in the limit L$i̊ghtarrow$0, the lateral and transversal degrees of freedom decouple, and the latter become ideal-gas-like. For a small wall separation, the transverse degrees of freedom can be integrated out and renormalize the interaction potential. We identify nL2 as the hidden smallness parameter of the confinement problem and evaluate the effective two-body potential analytically, which allows calculating the leading correction to the free energy exactly. Explicitly, we map a fluid of hard spheres in extreme confinement onto a 2D fluid of disks with an effective hard-core diameter and a soft boundary layer. Two-dimensional phase transitions are robust and the transition point experiences a shift O(nL2).

Authors with CRIS profile

Thomas Franosch Professur für Theoretische Physik Simon Lang Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik

Additional Organisation(s)

Exzellenz-Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials (EAM)

Involved external institutions

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Franosch, T., Lang, S., & Schilling, R. (2012). Fluids in Extreme Confinement. Physical Review Letters, 109(24). https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.240601

MLA:

Franosch, Thomas, Simon Lang, and Rolf Schilling. "Fluids in Extreme Confinement." Physical Review Letters 109.24 (2012).

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