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SUMMARY:Curvature potentials for defects on nematic shells - Virga\, E (Un
 iversit degli Studi di Pavia)
DTSTART:20130626T104500Z
DTEND:20130626T113000Z
UID:TALK45922@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:Nematic shells are thin films of nematic liquid crystal deposi
 ted on rigid colloidal particles\, which can be manufactured in different 
 shapes and guises. The two-dimensional order tensor that describes the loc
 al organization of liquid crystal molecules\, which tend to lie parallel t
 o the colloids' surface\, vanishes whenever no orientation is prevailing o
 n average. The points where this takes place are called defect\, as they l
 ack order. The lectuer will review recent work concerned with the interact
 ion between defects and the underlying surface. In particular\, arguments 
 will be offered that identify appropiate geometric potentials\, depending 
 on the shell's curvatures\, which either promote or hamper defects\, attra
 ct or repel them. \n
LOCATION:Centre for Mathematical Sciences\, Meeting Room 2
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