LIGHT-SCATTERING AS A PROBE OF LIQUID SURFACES AND INTERFACES

The field of quasi-elastic light scattering from thermally excited cap illary waves at liquid surfaces is reviewed, with particular attention to scientific advances since 1992. These include surface-induced free zing in molecular fluids, the cross-over from capillary to elastic Ray leigh waves on the surfaces of gelling polymer solutions, the experime ntal demonstration of mixing of capillary and dilatational surface mod es and the observation of effects due to processes tending to reduce t he stability of the dilatational waves on surfactant solutions. The po tential of this technique for surface and interface science is discuss ed.