Abstract
A spectrometer for the detection of laser light scattered by thermally excited capillary waves at fluid interfaces is described. Its optical system makes possible precise observations at capillary mode wave numbers high enough to avoid significant effects of instrumental resolution and permits the beam to be incident upon the fluid interface through either of the two adjacent fluid phases. Its performance was tested on the following three model systems at 20 degrees C: the free surfaces of water and 2-butanol, representing the oscillatory and critically damped capillary wave regimes respectively, and the interface between mutually saturated phases of these two liquids, representing the non-oscillatory regime. Accessible wave numbers for which effects of instrumental resolution were insignificant ranged between approximately 1*105 and 5*105 m-1. Values obtained for surface and interfacial tensions and viscosity agreed well with those obtained using a high-accuracy Wilhelmy plate tensiometer and a capillary viscometer.
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