Wetting phase transitions and critical phenomena in condensed matter

Equilibrium wetting phase transitions and critical phenomena are discussed from a phenomenological point of view. The ubiquitous character of the wetting phase transition is illustrated through its occurrence in a variety of condensed matter systems, ranging from classical fluids to superconductors and Bose-Einstein condensates. The intriguing behaviour of the three-phase contact line and its line tension, at wetting, is an example of a fundamental problem in this field on which much progress has been nude. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.status: publishe