Effects of thermal roughness on X-ray studies of liquid surfaces

The effects of thermal roughness on X-ray studies of liquid surfaces will be discussed. In contrast to solid surfaces, for which the surface height–height correlation function remains finite at large distances, for liquid surfaces thermal fluctuations induce a logarithmic dependence for distances smaller than a gravitationally induced cutoff that is of the order of mm. As a result of this there is no true specular X-ray reflectivity liquid surfaces. Theory and measurements explaining this phenomena will be presented.