Thickness Fluctuations in Surfactant Bilayers

Abstract

Surfactant bilayers experience thickness fluctuations even when the bilayer is swollen by small amount of solvent. Neutron scattering experiments reveal the characteristic features of the fluctuations. Neutron spin echo (NSE) in particular gives information about time scales of the motion and the fluctuation amplitude. Calculations using a simple computer model suggest that the static parameters, such as fluctuation amplitude, are measurable from small-angle scattering (SAS) data. Combination of SAS, NSE, and computer model provides essential knowledge on the bilayer dynamics. Calculations based on deformation free energy model of elastic membranes prove the feasibility of the scattering experiments and the computer model.