Dynamics near the phase transitions in liquid crystals
Abstract
A general formalism is developed to study the dynamics near the nematic to smectic phase transitions in liquid crystals. This formalism is cast in such a form that the very successful dynamic renormalization group method can be applied. The contributions to the viscosities which enter the stress tensor in the nematic state of a liquid crystal and the twist viscosity gamma sub 1, for the order parameter fluctuations near the nematic-smectic A, nematic-smectic C transitions and the Lifshitz point are calculated. The parameter which describes the reversible coupling between the shear and the director is also obtained. The calculational scheme involves a mode-coupling method. These results are compared with those of Jahnig and Brochard near the nematic-smectic-A transition. The dynamics of the NA transition is also investigated by the renormalization group method.
- Publication:
-
Ph.D. Thesis
- Pub Date:
- February 1979
- Bibcode:
- 1979PhDT........38H
- Keywords:
-
- Critical Point;
- Liquid Crystals;
- Phase Transformations;
- Transition Temperature;
- Mathematical Models;
- Reaction Kinetics;
- Stress Tensors;
- Viscosity;
- Solid-State Physics