Elastic effects of liquids on surface physics

The contact between a liquid and an elastic solid generates a stress vector depending on the curvature tensor in each point of the separating surface. For nanometer values of the mean curvature and for suitable materials, the stress vector takes significant amplitude on the surface. Although the surface average action of the liquid on the solid is the hydrostatic pressure, the local strain generates torques tending to regularize the surface undulations and asperities. To cite this article: H. Gouin, C. R. Mecanique 337 (2009).