Flow and reorientation in the dynamics of nematic defects

Abstract

We propose a simple phenomenological model for hydrodynamic defect dynamics in nematic liquid crystals, inspired by the Ericksen–Leslie theory. We identify the main forces that govern both fluid and defect motion and we comment on their symmetry. As shown for two annihilating disclinations, our model is predictive for arbitrary length scales and topological charges.

Keywords:

• nematic liquid crystals
• defect dynamics
• disclinations
• Ericksen–Leslie equations