title: Antipersistent behavior of defects in a lyotropic liquid crystal during annihilation.
abstract: We report on the dynamical behavior of defects of strength s=±1/2 in a lyotropic liquid crystal during the annihilation process. By following their positions using time-resolved polarizing microscopy technique, we present statistically significant evidence that the relative velocity between defect pairs is Gaussian distributed, antipersistent, and long-range correlated. We further show that simulations of the Lebwohl-Lasher model reproduce quite well our experimental findings.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, 87020-900, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. hvr@dfi.uem.br
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Teixeira-Souza
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: P R G
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Lenzi
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mendes
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015233:Models, Statistical; D044367:Phase Transition; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions; D012997:Solvents