1. Propagating Director Bend Fluctuations in Nematic Liquid Crystals.
- Author
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Humpert, Anja and Allen, Michael P.
- Subjects
- *
NEMATIC liquid crystals , *FLUCTUATIONS (Physics) , *HYDRODYNAMICS , *ELASTIC constants , *MOLECULAR dynamics - Abstract
We show, by molecular simulation, that for a range of standard, coarse-grained, nematic liquid crystal models, the director bend fluctuation is a propagating mode. This is in contrast to the generally accepted picture of nematic hydrodynamics, in which all the director modes (splay, twist, bend, and combinations thereof) are overdamped. By considering the various physical parameters that enter the equations of nematodynamics, we propose an explanation of this effect and conclude that propagating bend fluctuations may be observable in some experimental systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
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