Structural and conformational properties of a quasi-two-dimensional dipolar fluid

A survey of the structural properties of a quasi-two-dimensional dipolar fluid is given with emphasis on the low-density regime where particles self-assemble into clusters. The internal energy, conformational properties and equilibrium length distributions of the clusters are measured by means of Monte Carlo simulation and compared with equilibrium polymer theory. The scaling forms of the length distribution functions predicted by theory are found to describe the simulation results adequately. The existence and mechanisms of phase transitions in dilute dipolar fluids are discussed.