Long range order in two dimensional fractal aggregation

Abstract

Long range intercluster structural order has been observed in the late, diffusion-limited stages of cluster-cluster aggregation of colloidal monolayers at liquid surfaces. The structure factor S(q,t) scales as ${\mathit{q}}_{\mathit{m}\mathit{f}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{d}}$(t)F(q/${\mathit{q}}_{\mathit{m}}$), the exponent being the fractal dimension of two dimensional diffusion-limited cluster aggregation. Such scaling is not observed when the aggregation is reaction limited.