title: Corona patterns around inclusions in freely suspended smectic films.
abstract: We discuss the structure and physical origin of corona patterns observed around solid or liquid spherical inclusions in freely suspended smectic films. Such patterns are observed when droplets or solid beads of micrometer size are sprayed onto the films. They are found in the smectic C phase and in the smectic A phase above such a smectic C phase, but disappear, for example, at the transition into a lower-temperature smectic B phase. We show that these structures are equivalent to splay domains found in the meniscus of freely suspended films, originating from surface-induced spontaneous splay.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle Physik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany. kirsten.harth@st.ovgu.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harth
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stannarius
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D035843:Biomedical Research; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003102:Colloids / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005990:Glycerol / Q000737:chemistry; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids; D005990:Glycerol