title: Topological defects in nematic droplets of hard spherocylinders
abstract: Using computer simulations we investigate the microscopic structure of the singular director field within a nematic droplet. As a theoretical model for nematic liquid crystals we take hard spherocylinders. To induce an overall topological charge, the particles are either confined to a two-dimensional circular cavity with homeotropic boundary or to the surface of a three-dimensional sphere. Both systems exhibit half-integer topological point defects. The isotropic defect core has a radius of the order of one particle length and is surrounded by free-standing density oscillations. The effective interaction between two defects is investigated. All results should be experimentally observable in thin sheets of colloidal liquid crystals.
authors.affiliation: Institut fur Theoretische Physik II, Heinrich-Heine-Universitat Dusseldorf, Universitatsstrasse 1, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany.
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dzubiella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lowen