Density functional for anisotropic fluids
Abstract
We propose a density functional for anisotropic fluids of hard body particles. It interpolates between the well established geometrically based Rosenfeld functional for hard spheres and the Onsager functional for elongated rods. We test the new approach by calculating the location of the nematic-isotropic transition in systems of hard spherocylinders and hard ellipsoids. The results are compared with existing simulation data. Our functional predicts the location of the transition much more accurately than the Onsager functional, and almost as well as the theory by Parsons and Lee. We argue that it might be suited to study inhomogeneous systems.
- Publication:
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Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
- Pub Date:
- November 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0953-8984/14/46/323
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0208449
- Bibcode:
- 2002JPCM...1412223C
- Keywords:
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- Condensed Matter - Materials Science;
- Condensed Matter - Soft Condensed Matter;
- Condensed Matter - Statistical Mechanics
- E-Print:
- To appear in J. Physics: Condensed Matter