Interaction of foreign macrodroplets in a nematic liquid crystal and induced supermolecular structures

The behavior of a system of macroscopic particles introduced in a nematic liquid crystal is studied theoretically. The energy of the pair interparticle interaction associated with the director elastic field deformation is found. The interaction intensity and character are studied as functions of the distance, the geometric parameters of foreign macroparticles, and the value of their anchoring to the mesophase. The interparticle interaction can cause nontrivial collective behavior that results in the formation of new spatially modulated structures in the macroparticle system. The periodic arrangement of chiral particles that induces a helical structure can give rise to two incommensurable periods in the average orientation distribution of macroparticles. [S1063-651X(99)12701-6].