Nonequilibrium Structures in Liquid Crystals and Polymer Networks

Abstract

Influences of two kinds of nonequilibrium structures in MBBA from polymer networks formed by photopolymerization were investigated. It was found that an umbilic pattern formed in the homeotropic system can be immobilized at the transient nonequilibrium state. For electroconvective patterns in the planar system, increases of threshold voltages, distortions of patterns, and a slowing of the motion of turbulent patterns were found.