Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Theoretical Foundations

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Introduction to Thermotropic Liquid Crystal Phases

      • W. H. de Jeu

      Pages 3-16

   3. Microscopic Aspects of the Nematic Phases

      • W. H. de Jeu

      Pages 17-27

   4. Microscopic Aspects of the Smectic Phases

      • W. H. de Jeu

      Pages 29-39

   5. Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals: Introduction to Phase Transition Theories

      • P. Barois

      Pages 41-66

   6. Computer Simulations of Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals

      • D. Frenkel

      Pages 67-95

   7. Renormalization Group Studies of Statics and Dynamics of Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions

      • C. Dasgupta

      Pages 97-108

   8. Microscopic Liquid Crystal Theory of Nematic Reentrance, Smectic C Ordering, and In-Plane Domain Formation

      • R. R. Netz, A. N. Berker

      Pages 109-124

   9. Effects of Anisotropy in the Ordering Mechanisms of Two Dimensional Rotors

      • H. Leitão, M. M. Telo da Gama

      Pages 125-131

3. Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 133-133

      PDF

   2. Light Scattering Studies of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

      • S. Sprunt, J. D. Litster

      Pages 135-153

   3. Calorimetric Studies of Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions: Steady State Adiabatic Techniques

      • J. Thoen

      Pages 155-174

   4. Calorimetric Studies of Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions: AC Techniques

      • C. W. Garland

      Pages 175-187

   5. Photothermal Calorimetry: Simultaneous Measurements of Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity

      • M. Marinelli, U. Zammit, R. Pizzoferrato, F. Scudieri, S. Martellucci, F. Mercuri

      Pages 189-197

   6. Three Dimensional Phase-Sensitive AC Voltametry: A New Experimental Approach for the Study of Phase Transitions

      • N. Papadopoulos, S. Sotiropoulos, P. Nikitas

      Pages 199-203

   7. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) Flow in a Smectic a Liquid Crystal

      • E. Skjetne, J. Samseth, A. Jackson

      Pages 205-213

   8. Introduction to Liquid Crystals and Their Molecular Order

      • R. Shashidhar

      Pages 215-225

   9. X-Ray Studies of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals

      • R. Shashidhar

      Pages 227-237

   10. Critical Fluctuations in Free-Standing Smectic Films: An X-Ray Reflectivity Study

       • P. Lambooy, S. Gierlotka, I. W. Hamley, W. H. de Jeu

       Pages 239-244

The Nato Advanced Study Institute "Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals" was held May 2-12, 1991, in Erice, Sicily. This was the 16th conference organized by the International School of Quantum Electronics, under the auspices of the "Ettore Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture. The subject of "Liquid Crystals" has made amazing progress since the last ISQE Course on this subject in 1985. The present Proceedings give a tutorial introduction to today's most important areas, as well as a review of current results by leading researchers. We have brought together some of the world's acknowledged experts in the field to summarize both the present state of their research and its background. Most of the lecturers attended all the lectures and devoted their spare hours to stimulating discussions. We would like to thank them all for their admirable contributions. The Institute also took advantage of a very active audience; most of the students were active researchers in the field and contributed with discussions and seminars. Some of these student seminars are also included in these Proceedings. We did not modify the original manuscripts in editing this book, but we did group them according to the following topics: 1) "Theoretical Foundations"; 2) "Thermotropic Liquid Crystals"; 3) "Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals"; 4) "Polymeric Liquid Crystals"; and 5) "Lyotropic Liquid Crystals".

• Phase Transition
• Phase Transitions
• crystal
• polymer
• scattering

• The Second University of Rome, Rome, Italy

  S. Martellucci

• Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, USA

  A. N. Chester

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