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SUMMARY:An Overview of the Oseen-Frank elastic model and some symmetry asp
 ects of the Straley Mean-Field model for Biaxial Nematic liquid crystals -
  Gartland Jr.\, EC (Kent State University)
DTSTART:20130108T090000Z
DTEND:20130108T094000Z
UID:TALK42313@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:In this (mostly) expository talk\, we will present a brief ove
 rview of two independent topics: (1) the Oseen-Frank model for the spatial
 ly varying orientational properties of confined uniaxial nematic liquid cr
 ystals and (2) the mean-field model of Straley for the bulk phase behavior
  of biaxial nematic liquid crystals. The Oseen-Frank elastic model is a ph
 enomenological variational model for equilibrium orientational properties 
 characterized by a unit-length vector field. It is a macroscopic continuum
  model that has been very successful in modeling liquid crystals at the ty
 pical scales of experiments and devices. We will discuss the development o
 f the model\, its range of applicability\, its relation to other models\, 
 and its strengths and weaknesses. The mean-field model of Straley was put 
 forward almost 40 years ago as an attempt to describe the bulk phases and 
 transitions for molecules of an architecture that would promote the develo
 pment of spontaneous biaxial order. The model has received an intensive re
 -examination in recent years. Some of the symmetry properties of the model
  arise in unconventional ways\, such as through degeneracies in the repres
 entations of the states of the system. We will discuss the symmetries of t
 his model and the multiple symmetry-breaking bifurcations encountered in t
 he numerical exploration of its equilibrium phases.\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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