Extensional flow of nematic liquid crystal with an applied electric field

CUMMINGS, L. J.; LOW, J.; MYERS, T. G.

Type

Article

Authors

CUMMINGS, L. J.
LOW, J.
MYERS, T. G.

KAUST Grant Number

KUK-C1-013-04

Date

2013-10-17

Online Publication Date

2013-10-17

Print Publication Date

2014-08

Permanent link to this record

http://hdl.handle.net/10754/598295

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Abstract

Systematic asymptotic methods are used to formulate a model for the extensional flow of a thin sheet of nematic liquid crystal. With no external body forces applied, the model is found to be equivalent to the so-called Trouton model for Newtonian sheets (and fibres), albeit with a modified 'Trouton ratio'. However, with a symmetry-breaking electric field gradient applied, behaviour deviates from the Newtonian case, and the sheet can undergo finite-time breakup if a suitable destabilizing field is applied. Some simple exact solutions are presented to illustrate the results in certain idealized limits, as well as sample numerical results to the full model equations. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013.

Citation

CUMMINGS LJ, LOW J, MYERS TG (2013) Extensional flow of nematic liquid crystal with an applied electric field. European Journal of Applied Mathematics 25: 397–423. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S095679251300034X.

Sponsors

L.J. Cummings gratefully acknowledges financial support from the NSF on grants DMS 0908158 and DMS 1211713, from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) on Award no. KUK-C1-013-04 (an OCCAM Visiting Fellowship) and from the Centre de Recerca Matematica (CRM) during a Visiting Fellowship. T. G. Myers and L.J. Cummings also gratefully acknowledge the support for this research through the Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant FP7-256417 and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion grant MTM2010-17162. J. Low acknowledges support through a CRM Postdoctoral Fellowship. The authors thank G. W. Richardson for helpful discussions.