Electrohydrodynamic instability in some nematic cyanobiphenyls in an a.c. electric field |
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| Authors: | D K Rout R N P Choudhary |
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| Institution: | Department of Physics and Meteorology , Indian Institute of Technology , Kharagpur , 721302 , India |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Electrohydrodynamic instability in homeotropically oriented nematic samples of 4′-n-octyl-4-cyano-biphenyl and 4′n-alkyloxy-4-cyanobiphenyl, (n = 8.9) have been studied in an a.c. electric field. The domain patterns during the instability in these compounds in a very low frequency a.c. field are very similar to those in a d.c. field. The domain patterns observed at higher frequencies have been identified as ‘maltese crosses’ or ‘crossed isogyres’. The electro-convective ‘isotropic’ flows near the electrode play an important role in the observed instability. |
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