Flow Alignment in Smectic Liquid Crystal

Abstract

The experimental results of Cladis et al. ill about the behaviour of smectic-C liquid crystal free-standing films subjected to a two-dimensional shear flow are reproduced via a Ginzburg-Landau model which is simulated numerically. The model takes into account effects that were first neglected in the theoretical analysis made by Cladis et al. particular emphasis is put on the influence of the elastic anisotropy and the nonrotational part of the flow.