1C09 Effect of a hydrodynamic flow on the director configuration of a nematic liquid crystal around a spherical particle

Abstract

We investigate numerically how a uniform hydrodynamic flow influences the director configuration of a nematic liquid crystal around a spherical particle. Strong distortion of the director field is observed when the Ericksen number, which characterizes the ratio of the viscous force of the flow to the elastic force of the liquid crystal, is of the order of unity.