Hamaker constant

In

where ρ₁, ρ₂ are the number densities of the two interacting kinds of particles, and C is the London coefficient in the particle–particle pair interaction.^[1][2] The magnitude of this constant reflects the strength of the vdW-force between two particles, or between a particle and a substrate.^[1]

The Hamaker constant provides the means to determine the interaction parameter C from the vdW-pair potential,

${\displaystyle w(r)={\frac {-C}{r^{6}}}.}$

Hamaker's method and the associated Hamaker constant ignores the influence of an intervening medium between the two particles of interaction. In 1956

. When the interactions are too far apart, the dispersion potential decays faster than ${\displaystyle 1/r^{6};}$ this is called the

Casimir–Polder force

.

See also

• Hamaker theory
• Intermolecular forces
• van der Waals Forces

References

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