title: Micellar shape anisotropy and optical indicatrix in reentrant isotropic-nematic phase transitions.
abstract: In this work, we will show that the concept of nematic order parameter and a generalization of the concept of optical indicatrix, largely used in optics of anisotropic crystals, can be joined to give a new geometrical representation to the anisotropies found in lyotropic liquid crystals. Our theoretical approach will be illustrated using refractive index data of reentrant isotropic-calamitic (discotic) nematic phase transitions of potassium laurate, decanol, and heavy water mixtures.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Campus Universitário, 86051-990 Londrina, PR, Brazil. simoes@uel.br
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Palangana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gobato
authors.forename: O R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Santos