Reversible macroscopic dynamics of polar nematic liquid crystals: reversible currents and their experimental consequences.
Polar liquid crystalline phases are relevant for fluid liquid crystal phases observed in banana liquid crystals as well as for a class of polymeric liquid crystalline materials investigated recently. In this Brief Report we present the reversible dynamics for polar nematic liquid crystals with C_{infinityv} symmetry, where the macroscopic polarization representing polar order acts as an independent macroscopic variable. We find reversible coupling terms, for example, between flow and temperature and concentration gradients specific for the existence of a polar preferred direction. We suggest concrete experiments to check the importance of the reversible dynamic cross-coupling terms presented here.
Brand
Helmut R
HR
Theoretische Physik III, Universität Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany. brand@uni-bayreuth.de
Cladis
P E
PE
Pleiner
Harald
H