Physical Properties of the Cholesteric Mesophase.

Abstract

This final report describes experimental research on the behavior of ultrasound in liquid crystals, structure studies of liquid crystals by use of x-ray methods, degree of ordering in a nematic liquid crystal under an electric field, and synthesis of new liquid crystalline compounds. From the theoretical point of view the application of a dipole-dipole model to liquid crystalline systems is presented. For cholesteryl nonanoate the skin-depth penetration of the shear wave was found to be .000002m with a wave velocity of 80 m/sec at a frequency of 9.45 MH. The small penetration depth makes the shear-wave technique ideally suited for studying surface properties of liquid crystals. Some liquid crystals take on an ordered arrangement on surfaces while others are unordered. The dipole-dipole model of a nematic liquid crystal predicts an antiferroelectric state of order based on dipole-dipole interactions of nearest neighbors. The model also predicts that the nematic-isotropic point should be field dependent. X-ray studies have led to the point where it can give a fairly good classification of liquid crystals based on diffraction patterns. Infrared dichroic studies can be used to establish the degree of ordering of nematic liquids.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 11, 1970
Accession Number
AD0872377

Entities

People

  • Glenn H. Brown

Organizations

  • Kent State University

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Crystals
  • Electric Fields
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Shift
  • Liquid Crystals
  • Physical Properties
  • Quantum Properties
  • Secondary Waves
  • Surface Properties
  • Waves
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics