Alignment of Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract

Two problems in the theory of nematic liquid crystals are formulated. One is concerned with the change of orientation due to magnetic field and the other with shear flow. The solutions of the governing differential equations explain the physical phenomena which have been observed experimentally, namely the alignment of nematic liquid crystals with the magnetic field and with shear flow. In fact, it is shown that these two phenomena are closely related to each other.