Hydrodynamics of domain growth in nematic liquid crystals.
We study the growth of aligned domains in nematic liquid crystals. Results are obtained solving the Beris-Edwards equations of motion using the lattice Boltzmann approach. Spatial anisotropy in the domain growth is shown to be a consequence of the flow induced by the changing order parameter field (backflow). The generalization of the results to the growth of a cylindrical domain, which involves the dynamics of a defect ring, is discussed.
Tóth
Géza
G
Department of Physics, Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, 1 Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3NP, United Kingdom.
Denniston
Colin
C
Yeomans
J M
JM