Application of the statistical theory of elastic constants of nematics to spherocylindrical molecules with attractive forces

Abstract

The statistical theory of the elastic constants of nematic liquid crystals is applied to detailed calculations based on well-defined approximations for the direct correlation function of Ornstein and Zernike and for the singlet orientational distribution. The model of hard spherocylinders with superimposed r ^-6 attraction modulated by a Maier-Saupe P ₂(cos ϑ_{1 2}) term, is used. The dependence on temperature, on the order parameter and on the length to breadth ratio, of the reduced elastic constants K* _i (i=1, 2, 3), is discussed in some detail and comparison with experiment is included.