Biaxial nematic phase in the Maier-Saupe model for a mixture of discs and cylinders.
Eur Phys J E Soft Matter
; 35(2): 14, 2012 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22367603
ABSTRACT
We analyze the global phase diagram of a Maier-Saupe lattice model with the inclusion of shape-disordered degrees of freedom to mimic a mixture of oblate and prolate molecules (discs and cylinders). In the neighborhood of a Landau multicritical point, solutions of the statistical problem can be written as a Landau-de Gennes expansion for the free energy. If the shape-disordered degrees of freedom are quenched, we confirm the existence of a biaxial nematic structure. If orientational and disorder degrees of freedom are allowed to thermalize, this biaxial solution becomes thermodynamically unstable. Also, we use a two-temperature formalism to mimic the presence of two distinct relaxation times, and show that a slight departure from complete thermalization is enough to stabilize a biaxial nematic phase.
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1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Física
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article