SURFACE DEFORMATION, SPRING STIFFNESS AND THE MEASUREMENT OF SOLVATION FORCES

In order to show how surface deformations may be taken into account in the modeling of static surface forces measurements, we present a simp le model which qualitatively describes the behavior of elastic surface s submitted to an oscillatory force field like solvation forces. We al so show that the correct thermodynamic description for the experimenta l system (including the force measuring spring) is easily deduced from the isostrain (fixed grips) description. We briefly point out that th e dynamic description of these systems is much more intricate. (C) 199 8 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.