title: Interactions and correlations of particulate inclusions in a columnar phase.
abstract: We calculate the elastic-field-mediated interaction between macroscopic particles in a columnar hexagonal phase. The interaction is found to be long-ranged and non-central, with both attractive and repulsive parts. We show how the interaction modifies the particle correlations and the column fluctuations. We also calculate the interaction of particles with the topological defects of the columnar phase. The particle-defect interaction reduces the mobility of the defects.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India. rjoy@physics.iisc.ernet.in
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adhikari