Liquid Crystals

Patrick Oswald, Pawel Pieranski

Nematic and Cholesteric Liquid Crystals:  Concepts and Physical Properties Illustrated by Experiments OVERVIEW Some History Modern Classification of Liquid Crystals Mesogenic Anatomy MESOPHASES WITH AN ORIENTATIONAL ORDER Structure and Dielectric Properties of the Nematic Phase Nematoelasticity: Frederiks Transition and Light Scattering Nematodynamics and Flow Instabilities Defects and Textures in Nematics Anchoring and Anchoring Transitions of Nematics on Solid Surfaces The Nematic-Isotropic Liquid Interface: Static Properties and Directional Growth Instabilities Cholesterics: the First Example of a Frustrated Mesophase Blue Phases: a Second Example of a Frustrated Mesophase Overview of Growth Phenomena and the Mullins-Sekerka Instability Subject index Author index Smectic and Columnar Liquid Crystals: Concepts and Physical Properties Illustrated by Experiments Dedication Preface to the English edition SMECTIC AND COLUMNAR LIQUID CRYSTALS Structure of the Smectic A Phase and the Transition Toward the Nematic Phase Continuum Theory of Smectics A Hydrodynamics Dislocations, Focal Conics, and Rheology of Smectics A Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric Mesophases The Twist-Grain Boundary Smectics Hexatic Smectics The Smectic B Plastic Crystal Smectic Free Films Columnar Phases Growth of a Columnar Hexagonal Phase Subject index Author index