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“Inert” colloids are μm-scale particles that create no distortion when trapped at a planar fluid–fluid interface. When placed in a curved interface, however, such colloids can create interfacial distortions of quadrupolar symmetry – so-called “induced capillary quadrupoles.” The present work explores the analogy between capillary quadrupoles and electric dipoles, and the forces exerted on them by a symmetry-breaking gradient. In doing so, we weigh in on an outstanding debate as to whether a curvature gradient can induce a capillary force on an inert colloid. We argue that this force exists, for the opposite would imply that all dielectrophoretic forces vanish in two dimensions (2D). We justify our claim by solving 2D Laplace problems of electrostatics and capillary statics involving a single particle placed within a large circular shell with an imposed gradient. We show that the static boundary condition on the outer shell must be considered when applying the principle of virtual work to compute the force on the particle, as verified by a direct calculation of this force through integration of the particle stresses. Our investigation highlights some of the subtleties that emerge in virtual work calculations of capillary statics and electrostatics, thereby clarifying and extending previous results in the field. The broader implication of our results is that inert particles – including particles with planar, pinned contact lines and equilibrium contact angles – interact through interparticle capillary forces that scale quadratically with the deviatoric curvature of the host interface, contrary to recent claims made in the literature.

Capillary force on an ‘inert’ colloid: a physical analogy to dielectrophoresis