Structure of a liquid crystalline fluid around a macroparticle: Density functional theory.
The structure of a molecular liquid, in both the nematic liquid crystalline and isotropic phases, around a cylindrical macroparticle, is studied using density functional theory. In the nematic phase the structure of the fluid is highly anisotropic with respect to the director, in agreement with results from simulation and phenomenological theories. On going into the isotropic phase the structure becomes rotationally invariant around the macroparticle with an oriented layer at the surface.
Cheung
David L
DL
Department of Physics and Centre for Scientific Computing, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. david.cheung@warwick.ac.uk
Allen
Michael P
MP