title: Analytical description of the Saturn-ring defect in nematic colloids.
abstract: We derive an analytical formula for the Saturn-ring configuration around a small colloidal particle suspended in nematic liquid crystal. In particular we obtain an explicit expression for the ring radius and its dependence on the anchoring energy. We work within Landau-de Gennes theory: Nematic alignment is described by a tensorial order parameter. For nematic colloids this model had previously been used exclusively to perform numerical computations. Our method demonstrates that the tensorial theory can also be used to obtain analytical results, suggesting a different approach to the understanding of nematic colloidal interactions.
authors: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1.
authors: Stan
authors: S
authors: Alama
authors: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1.
authors: Lia
authors: L
authors: Bronsard
authors: Institut Camille Jordan, Université Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, F-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France and Max-Planck Institut, Inselstrasse 22, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Lamy