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Paper   IPM / P / 11165
School of Physics
  Title:   Role of Multipoles in Counterion-Mediated Interactions between Charged Surfaces: Strong and Weak Coupling
  Author(s): 
1.  M. Kanduc
2.  A. Naji
3.  Y.S. Jho
4.  P.A. Pincus
5.  R. Podgornic
  Status:   Published
  Journal: J. Physics: Condens. Matter
  Vol.:  21
  Year:  2009
  Pages:   424103
  Supported by:  IPM
  Abstract:
We present general arguments for the importance, or lack thereof, of the structure in the charge distribution of counterions for counterion-mediated interactions between bounding symmetrically charged surfaces. We show that on the mean field or weak coupling level, the charge quadrupole contributes the lowest order modification to the contact value theorem and thus to the intersurface electrostatic interactions. The image effects are non-existent on the mean-field level even with multipoles. On the strong coupling level the quadrupoles and higher order multipoles contribute additional terms to the interaction free energy only in the presence of dielectric inhomogeneities. Without them, the monopole is the only multipole that contributes to the strong coupling electrostatics. We explore the consequences of these statements in all their generality.

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