Dynamics of Internal Variables from the Mesoscopic Background for the Example of Liquid Crystals and Ferrofluids

Christina Papenfuss ()
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Christina Papenfuss: Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology

A chapter in Applied Wave Mathematics, 2009, pp 89-125 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Liquid crystals are an interesting example of complex materials, showing fluid-like flow behavior on one hand and anisotropic solid-like behavior on the other hand. Macroscopically such complex behavior is taken into account by internal variables, and the question of the equations of motion for the internal variables arises. One way to derive such equations of motion is the so-called mesoscopic theory. The general concept of the mesoscopic theory is presented, and it is applied to the examples of liquid crystals and ferrofluids. The internal variables, here the alignment tensor in the case of liquid crystals, and the polarization in case of ferrofluids, are defined from the mesoscopic background. Equations of motion are derived in both cases. The well-known Landau-type equation for the alignment tensor in liquid crystals is recovered.

Keywords: Liquid Crystal; Internal Variable; Nematic Liquid Crystal; Orientation Distribution Function; Isotropic Phase (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-642-00585-5_7

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-00585-5_7

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