Defect controlled dynamics of nematic liquids

Abstract

The long time dynamical response of a nematic liquid exhibiting banded textures (inversion walls) during the twist Freedericksz transition is presented. A dynamical model of approach to equilibrium through defect interaction and the resulting dissolution of the banded textures is presented. A linear stability analysis shows that splay-bend inversion wall defects are unstable to two dimensional infinitesimal perturbations. A model of inversion wall segment collapse with production of a disclination line pair is given. The energy-momentum tensor gives the force of interaction between inversion walls and disclination lines. A perturbation analysis gives the evolution of the director field in closed form. Entropy production gives the velocity of each line. The growth law governing the wall dissolution is given.