Defect modeling in spreading nematic droplets

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-13-2012

Abstract

Experiments by Poulard and Cazabat on spreading droplets of nematic liquid crystal (NLC) reveal a surprisingly rich variety of behavior, including at least two different emerging length scales resulting from a contact line instability. In earlier work [Cummings, Lin, and Kondic, Phys. FluidsPHFLE61070-663110.1063/ 1.3570863 23, 043102 (2011)] we modified a lubrication model for NLCs due to Ben Amar and Cummings and showed that, in a qualitative sense, it can account for two-dimensional (2D) versions of the observed behavior. In the present work we propose a different approach that allows us to explore the effect of anchoring variations on the substrate, again in a 2D geometry. This in turn gives a simple way to model the presence of defects, which are nearly always present in such flows. The present model leads to additional terms in the governing equation. We explore the influence of these additional terms for some simple flow scenarios to gain insight into their influence. © 2012 American Physical Society.

Identifier

84856686319 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Physical Review E Statistical Nonlinear and Soft Matter Physics

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.85.012702

e-ISSN

15502376

ISSN

15393755

Issue

1

Volume

85

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