Linear hydrodynamics and viscoelasticity of nematic elastomers

Abstract

We develop a continuum theory of linear viscoelastic response in oriented monodomain nematic elastomers. The expression for dissipation function is analogous to the Leslie-Ericksen version of anisotropic nematic viscosity; we propose the relations between the anisotropic rubber moduli and new viscous coefficients. A new dimensionless number is introduced, which describes the relative magnitude of viscous and rubber-elastic torques. In an elastic medium with an independently mobile internal degree of freedom, the nematic director with its own relaxation dynamics, the model shows a dramatic decrease in the dynamic modulus in certain deformation geometries. The degree to which the storage modulus does not altogether drop to zero is shown to be both dependent on frequency and to be proportional to the semi-softness, the non-ideality of a nematic network. We consider the most interesting geometry for the implementation of the theory, calculating the dynamic response to an imposed simple shear and making predictions for effective moduli and (exceptionally high) loss factors.