Filling transition for a wedge.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Physical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Understanding liquid behavior in confined geometries is crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• The formation and shape of liquid menisci are influenced by surface tension, wetting properties, and geometric confinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the formation and shape of a liquid meniscus within a wedge under vapor phase exposure.
• To analyze the characteristics of a filling transition and its dependence on fluid and substrate properties.

Main Methods:

• Application of an effective interface model.
• Analysis of liquid-vapor coexistence at a specific temperature (Tphi).
• Investigation of wetting transitions and their relation to the filling transition.

Main Results:

• A filling transition was identified where the meniscus height becomes macroscopically large.
• The filling transition can be continuous or discontinuous, depending on fluid and substrate potentials.
• A prefilling line phenomenon was observed in discontinuous transitions, describing a shift from small to large finite meniscus heights.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals distinct filling and prefilling transitions in wedge geometries.
• These transitions are linked to nonanalyticities in the free energy contributions of the fluid.
• The findings provide insights into capillary condensation and wetting phenomena in confined systems.