Premium
Thermodynamic order and random disorder in liquid crystal elastomers
Author(s) -
Terentjev Eugene M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19971170112
Subject(s) - elastomer , materials science , liquid crystal , thermal fluctuations , random field , thermal , light scattering , condensed matter physics , order and disorder , statistical physics , scattering , thermodynamics , physics , optics , composite material , mathematics , statistics
This article focuses on the continuum aspects of liquid crystal elastomer structure. There are two opposing tendencies, the lack of thermal fluctuations that enhances the order in the system, and the random quenched disorder that leads to a highly frustrated polydomain state in equilibrium. Imposing an external field (mechanical stress) changes the balance between order and disorder, this process being monitored by a polarised light scattering.