Anisotropic capillary surfaces with wetting energy (Q885808)

The authors generalize results of \textit{T. I. Vogel} and \textit{R. Finn} [Z. Anal. Anwend. 11, No. 1, 3--23 (1992; Zbl 0760.76015)] and \textit{M. Athanassenas} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 26, No. 4, 749--762 (1998; Zbl 0927.76011)] concerning liquid drops between two parallel planes to free anisotropic energies of the type \({\mathcal F}[X]:=\int_\Sigma F(\nu)\;d\Sigma\), where \(\nu=(\nu_1,\nu_2,\nu_3)\): \(\Sigma\to S^2\) is the Gauss map of \(X\): \(\Sigma\to {\mathbb R}^3\). The reason for this generalization is that the classical isotropic surface tension must be replaced by an anisotropic one if the materials involved enter a solid or liquid crystal phase. In particular, the paper contains a derivation of the first and second variation of rotationally symmetric anisotropic surface energies and a stability analysis of anisotropic Delaunay surfaces which are equilibria of the problem. The stability analysis is based on the study of eigenvalues of a linear second-order ordinary differential equation associated to the second variation.