Domain structure of a planar layer of a nematic liquid crystal in oscillating Couette flow

The spatially periodic structure arising in a planar layer of a nematic liquid crystal in oscillating Couette flow is described theoretically. The analysis of this effect is based on the hydrodynamic equations for nematic liquid crystals, from which a self-consistent system of equations is singled out for perturbations of hydrodynamic variables. It is shown that the structure and threshold parameters of the effect depend on the oscillation frequency and the layer thickness through the scaling combination ωh ². The dependence of the configuration of distortions on the viscosity α₃ is analyzed.