SHAPE MEASUREMENTS OF FACETED SMECTIC-A DROPLETS

被引：14

作者：

BECHHOEFER, J ^{[1
]}

OSWALD, P ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] SIMON FRASER UNIV,DEPT PHYS,BURNABY V5A 1S6,BC,CANADA

来源：

EUROPHYSICS LETTERS | 1991年 / 15卷 / 05期

关键词：

DYNAMICS OF SOLID SURFACES AND INTERFACE VIBRATIONS; LIQUID CRYSTALS;

D O I：

10.1209/0295-5075/15/5/009

中图分类号：

O4 [物理学];

学科分类号：

0702 ;

摘要：

We have measured profiles of smectic A droplets in air as a function of temperature. As the droplet is cooled below the nematic-smectic A transition temperature T(NA), the facet radius is proportonal to (T(NA) - T)-alpha, with alpha = 0.45 +/- 0.1, an exponent consistent with that measured for the layer compression modulus B. While the relaxation time for shape changes upon cooling is less than one minute, that for heating ranges from hours to days, depending on (T(NA) - T). An estimate of the energy barrier to nucleating new layers suggests that that process is forbidden and that another explanation of the relaxation-rate asymmetry must be found.

引用

页码：521 / 526

页数：6