TY - JOUR
T1 - Sign of the Casimir-Polder interaction between atoms and oil-water interfaces
T2 - Subtle dependence on dielectric properties
AU - Boström, Mathias
AU - Ellingsen, Simen Å
AU - Brevik, Iver
AU - Parsons, Drew F.
AU - Sernelius, Bo E.
PY - 2012/6/14
Y1 - 2012/6/14
N2 - We demonstrate that Casimir-Polder energies between noble gas atoms (dissolved in water) and oil-water interfaces are highly surface specific. Both repulsion (e.g., hexane) and attraction (e.g., glycerine and cyclodecane) is found with different oils. For several intermediate oils (e.g., hexadecane, decane, and cyclohexane) both attraction and repulsion can be found in the same system. Near these oil-water interfaces the interaction is repulsive in the nonretarded limit and turns attractive at larger distances as retardation becomes important. These highly surface specific interactions may have a role to play in biological systems where the surface may be more or less accessible to dissolved atoms.
AB - We demonstrate that Casimir-Polder energies between noble gas atoms (dissolved in water) and oil-water interfaces are highly surface specific. Both repulsion (e.g., hexane) and attraction (e.g., glycerine and cyclodecane) is found with different oils. For several intermediate oils (e.g., hexadecane, decane, and cyclohexane) both attraction and repulsion can be found in the same system. Near these oil-water interfaces the interaction is repulsive in the nonretarded limit and turns attractive at larger distances as retardation becomes important. These highly surface specific interactions may have a role to play in biological systems where the surface may be more or less accessible to dissolved atoms.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862510601&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevA.85.064501
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevA.85.064501
M3 - Article
SN - 1050-2947
VL - 85
JO - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
JF - Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
IS - 6
M1 - 064501
ER -