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SUMMARY:On the cubic instability in the Q-tensor theory of nematics - Zarn
 escu\, A (University of Sussex)
DTSTART:20130109T100000Z
DTEND:20130109T104000Z
UID:TALK42335@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:Symmetry considerations\, as well as compatibility with the Os
 een-Frank theory\, require the presence of a cubic term (involving spatial
  derivatives) in the Q-tensor energy functional used for describing variat
 ionally the nematics. However the presence of the cubic term makes the ene
 rgy functional unbounded from below. \n\nWe propose a dynamical approach f
 or addressing this issue\, namely to consider the L^2 gradient flow genera
 ted by the energy functional and show that the energy is dynamically bound
 ed\, namely if one starts with a bounded\, suitable\, energy then the ener
 gy stays bounded in time. We discuss notions of suitability which are rela
 ted to the preservation of a physical constraint on the eigenvalues of the
  Q-tensors (without using the Ball-Majumdar singular potential). \n\nThis 
 is joint work with G. Iyer and X. Xu (Carnegie-Mellon).\n\n
LOCATION:Seminar Room 1\, Newton Institute
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