Viscosities Diverge as 1ω in Smectic-A Liquid Crystals

Gene F. Mazenko, Sriram Ramaswamy, and John Toner
Phys. Rev. Lett. 49, 51 – Published 5 July 1982
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Abstract

The nonlinear coupling between the velocity field and the layer-displacement field leads to a radical breakdown of the conventional hydrodynamical theory for smectic-A liquid crystals. Three of the five viscosities are found to diverge as 1ω for small frequencies ω with the result that the sound attenuation scales as ω (not ω2 as predicted by conventional hydrodynamics). It is also found that there is a simple relationship between the three diverging viscosities. Reanalysis of existing data appears to confirm the present prediction for the sound attenuation.

  • Received 19 May 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.49.51

©1982 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Gene F. Mazenko, Sriram Ramaswamy, and John Toner

  • The James Franck Institute and the Department of Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637

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Issue

Vol. 49, Iss. 1 — 5 July 1982

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