Measurements of Nematic Elastic Constants near a Second Order Nematic-Smectic-APhase Change

Abstract
The splay and bend elastic constants of nematic p-cyanobenzylidene-p-octyloxyaniline have been measured as a function of temperature. The bend constant diverges near the nematic-smectic-A phase change, with the temperature dependence predicted by de Gennes. The splay constant shows no anomaly, as expected.