June 26, 2015

The structure factor of a liquid - part V

Finite-size effects

In previous posts, we have always considered that the liquid system was infinite and homogeneous. This may no longer be the case if:
  • the particles are confined in relatively small spaces or
  • their attractive interaction leads to the formation of dense aggregates, separated by more dilute regions.
Although physically very different, those two situations have similar effects on the structure and we will treat them together.