Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 53: Complex Fluids and Soft Matter (joint session DY/ CPP / BP)

DY 53.2: Talk

Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 15:45–16:00, BH-N 334

The dynamics of smectic layer reorganization — •Patricia Dähmlow, Torsten Trittel, Kathrin May, Kirsten Harth, and Ralf Stannarius — Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg

Centimeter-sized freely floating smectic bubbles are studied during their relaxation towards equilibrium spherical shape from an initial elongated hose-like one. These bubbles are observed via high-speed optical imaging. The film area of the nanometer thick bubbles decreases linearly with time within a few milliseconds, driven by capillary forces and inhibited by smectic layer reorganization. Compared to soap bubbles, this film area reduction is much slower, since the layer reorganization in smectics strongly dissipates energy.

Due to the surface reduction of the smectic bubble, the thickness of the film increases locally by forming ordered stacks of excess layers (islands). These islands grow until the equilibrium spherical bubble shape is reached. Additionally, we found, that the relaxation time of the bubbles depends on the film thickness. We discuss the limitations of a minimalistic model that captures smectic layer reorganization processes.