ANOMALOUS PHASE-SEPARATION KINETICS OBSERVED IN A MICELLE SOLUTION

We report a real-time, two-dimensional light scattering study of the e volution of structure in a two-component nonionic micelle system under going phase separation. We find that the structure of the domains is q ualitatively similar to that observed in binary fluid systems, with so me anomalies observed. However, compared to the Lifshitz-Slyozov predi ction for simple binary fluids, the domain growth is unexpectedly slow . In fact, the growth kinetics can be empirically described as a stret ched exponential approach to a pinned domain size. This anomalous beha vior may be due to the ability of the spherical micelles to reorganize into more complex structures.