Orientational relaxation in the Maier–Saupe model of nematic liquid crystals

✍ Scribed by B.U. Felderhof

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 232 KB
• Volume: 323
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-4371
• DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4371(02)02031-9

✦ Synopsis

The nonlinear self-consistent Smoluchowski equation for the distribution of orientations in a colloidal suspension of elongated molecules is solved for situations with uniaxial symmetry in the framework of the Maier-Saupe model. The axis of symmetry corresponds to the direction of an applied magnetic or electric ÿeld. The ÿeld is suddenly switched on or o , and the subsequent evolution of distribution and order parameter is studied in a rapidly convergent numerical scheme. The non-equilibrium free energy and entropy are calculated. An exact expression is derived for the short-time friction coe cient. It is shown that a macroscopic relaxation equation describes the time-evolution of the order parameter reasonably well.