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Forces between elongated particles in a nematic colloid

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Andrienko, D., Tasinkevych, M., Patrício, P., Allen, M. P. and Telo da Gama, M. M. . (2003) Forces between elongated particles in a nematic colloid. Physical Review Letters, Vol.68 (No.5). ISSN 0031-9007

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.68.051702

Abstract

Using molecular dynamics simulations we study the interactions between elongated colloidal particles (length to breath ratio ≫1) in a nematic host. The simulation results are compared to the results of a Landau–de Gennes elastic free energy. We find that depletion forces dominate for the sizes of the colloidal particles studied. The tangential component of the force, however, allows us to resolve the elastic contribution to the total interaction. We find that this contribution differs from the quadrupolar interaction predicted at large separations. The difference is due to the presence of nonlinear effects, namely, the change in the positions and structure of the defects and their annihilation at small separations.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

Q Science > QC Physics

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Physics

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Colloids, Liquid crystals

Journal or Publication Title:

Physical Review Letters

Publisher:

American Physical Society

ISSN:

0031-9007

Official Date:

3 November 2003

Dates:

Date	Event
3 November 2003	Published

Volume:

Vol.68

Number:

No.5

Identification Number:

10.1103/PhysRevE.68.051702

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Access rights to Published version:

Restricted or Subscription Access

Funder:

Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvHS), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

Grant number:

SFRH/BPD/1599/2000, SFRH/BPD/5664/2001

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