Wetting of ring-shaped surface domains

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung Am Mühlenberg, 14476 Golm, Germany
² Lyman Laboratory of Physics, Harvard University - Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Received: 20 September 2000
Accepted: 13 December 2000

Abstract

Wetting of ring-shaped surface domains is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The liquid channels covering these domains exhibit a volume-induced morphological transition from a homogeneous to a bulge state. The continuous symmetry of the low-volume channels is spontaneously broken by the transition to the high-volume regime. Therefore, an angular displacement of the bulge does not cost any (free) energy and the corresponding interface deformation represents a "Goldstone boson"which should be observable for domains in the micrometer regime.