Hexatic Order and Liquid Density Fluctuations

Abstract

We study the evolution of liquid structure factors with changing bond-orientational (hexatic) order. The form of the radial structure factor is found to depend strongly on the mean square amplitude of fluctuations in the hexatic order parameter. The effects of substrates on the hexatic ordering process in two dimensions are also examined. Our results apply not only to hexatic fluids, but also to other liquids whose local densities are coupled to $x-y$-like primary order parameters.