title: Commentary on "Mechanical properties of monodomain side chain nematic elastomers" by P. Martinoty et al.
abstract: We discuss the rheology experiments on nematic elastomers by Martinoty et al. in the light of theoretical models for the long-wavelength low-frequency dynamics of these materials. We review these theories and discuss how they can be modified to provide a phenomenological description of the non-hydrodynamic frequency regime probed in the experiments. Moreover, we review the concepts of soft and semi-soft elasticity and comment on their implications for the experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stenull
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lubensky
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013997:Time Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; C422409:liquid crystal polymer; D014867:Water