Textures and the shapes of domains in Langmuir monolayers

TL;DR

This paper investigates the internal textures and shapes of two-dimensional domains in Langmuir monolayers with XY-like order parameters, revealing how energy contributions influence their equilibrium structures.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical framework for calculating the textures and shapes of domains in Langmuir monolayers, linking internal order to domain morphology.

Findings

Determined equilibrium domain shapes and textures.

Linked internal order configurations to observable domain structures.

Enhanced understanding of Langmuir monolayer domain behavior.

Abstract

Two-dimensional domains containing an XY-like order parameter exhibit non-trivial internal structure and take on shapes controlled by the configuration that the order parameter adopts. The textures exhibited by the order parameter in such domains are controlled by the interplay between bulk and surface contributions to the energy. We report calculations of the internal texture and the shape of such domains. These calculations lead to the determination of the equilibrium properties of two-dimensional domains, such as those observed in Langmuir monolayers. This allows for the unambiguous exploration of the implications of experimental findings.