Shear-induced undulation of smectic-A: Molecular dynamics simulations vs. analytical theory

Experiments on a variety of systems have shown that layered liquids are unstable under shear even if the liquid layers are planes of constant velocity. We investigate the stability of smectic- A like liquids under shear using Molecular Dynamics simulations and a macroscopic hydrodynamic theory (incl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European physical journal. E, Soft matter and biological physics Soft matter and biological physics, 2004-02, Vol.13 (2), p.141-151
Main Authors: SODDEMANN, Th, AUERNHAMMER, G. K, GUO, H, DÜNWEG, B, KREMER, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer Simulation
Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties
Exact sciences and technology
Liquid crystals
Macromolecular Substances
Models, Statistical
Models, Theoretical
Physical Phenomena
Physics
Polymers - chemistry
Stress, Mechanical
Structure of solids and liquids
crystallography
Theory and models of liquid crystal structure
Thermodynamics
Time Factors
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Summary:Experiments on a variety of systems have shown that layered liquids are unstable under shear even if the liquid layers are planes of constant velocity. We investigate the stability of smectic- A like liquids under shear using Molecular Dynamics simulations and a macroscopic hydrodynamic theory (including the layer normal and the director as independent variables). Both methods show an instability of the layers, which sets in above a critical shear rate. We find a remarkable qualitative and reasonable quantitative agreement between both methods for the spatial homogeneous state and the onset of the instability.
ISSN:1292-8941
1292-895X
DOI:10.1140/epje/e2004-00045-0