These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Deformable homeotropic nematic droplets in a magnetic field.
    Author: Otten RH, van der Schoot P.
    Journal: J Chem Phys; 2012 Oct 21; 137(15):154901. PubMed ID: 23083185.
    Abstract:
    We present a Frank-Oseen elasticity theory for the shape and structure of deformable nematic droplets with homeotropic surface anchoring in the presence of a magnetic field. Inspired by recent experimental observations, we focus on the case where the magnetic susceptibility is negative, and find that small drops have a lens shape with a homogeneous director field for any magnetic-field strength, whereas larger drops are spherical and have a radial director field, at least if the magnetic field is weak. For strong magnetic fields the hedgehog configuration transforms into a split-core line defect that, depending on the anchoring strength, can be accompanied by an elongation of the tactoid itself. We present a three-dimensional phase diagram that shows the tactoid shape and director field for a given anchoring strength, tactoid size, and magnetic-field strength. Our findings rationalize the different shapes and structures that recently have been observed experimentally for nematic droplets found in dispersions of gibbsite platelets in two types of solvent.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]