Air tube formation at the freezing transition in nematic liquid crystals.
A phenomenon is presented, which changes the shape of gas bubbles in liquid crystals and also creates long gas tubes. The system consists of air bubbles which are injected into a nematic liquid crystal host. The shape of these air bubbles changes from spherical to ellipsoidal by initiating freezing of the sample. Furthermore, long gas tubes are formed from the air which was formerly dissolved in the liquid crystal. The gas tubes are created by the progression of the crystalline-liquid interface. Their length can reach up to 40 times their diameter. The diameter of the tubes depends on the pressure applied to the system, as well as on the interface velocity.
Völtz
C
C
Japan Science and Technology Agency, Liquid Crystal Nano-System Project, 5-9-9 Tokodai, Tsukuba 300-2635, Japan. cvoeltz@nanolc.jst.go.jp
Maeda
Y
Y
Tabe
Y
Y
Yokoyama
H
H