Wr. Schief et al., Spatially patterned static roughness superimposed on thermal roughness in a condensed phospholipid monolayer, PHYS REV E, 62(5), 2000, pp. 6831-6837
Imaging of diffuse light scattering in reflection from a phospholipid monol
ayer at the air/water interface has revealed a previously undetected separa
tion of the monolayer into two regions distinguishable by the intensity of
their scattering. In monolayers of L-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine in the
condensed phase, chiral-shaped domains are surrounded by a brighter region
that covers approximately half the monolayer. While the scattered intensit
y from both regions increases with surface pressure in a manner consistent
with scattering from thermally induced capillary waves, the additional scat
tering from the brighter region indicates a static surface roughness superi
mposed on the thermal roughness.