We present a model for the electrical conductivity of a water-in-oil microemulsion. The conductivity is explained by the migration of charged aqueous droplets in the electric field. Charged droplets are formed by spontaneous number fluctuations of the ions residing on the droplets. The magnitude of these fluctuations is directly related to the Coulomb energy that is required to charge up a droplet. The present model for the conductivity contains no adjustable parameters and is entirely consistent with experimental results on AOT-water-isooctane microemulsions.
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