Overviews of other MLC workshops

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• Warner, M, Osipov, M, Ball, J (Cambridge/Strathclyde/Oxford)
• Friday 11 January 2013, 13:30-14:00
• Seminar Room 1, Newton Institute.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Mustapha Amrani.

The Mathematics of Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystal (LC) phases were first identified and even named by their topological defects. The rich interplay between geometry, topology and optics is ubiquitous through all liquid crystals. Workshop 4 (WS4) addresses the characterisation of defects, their essential appearance in complex systems such as colloidal liquid crystals, how they template complex structures, and their special character in non-simple spaces (such as those with Gaussian curvature). WS4 is concerned with solid liquid crystals, both elastomers where the director remains mobile, and glasses where the director is pinned to the material frame. The unique mechanics of solid liquid crystals leads to new phenomena, some of which are described by techniques of quasi-convexification first exploited in Martensites. Their mechanics connects with the defects theme since topological defects in LC solids, on illumination or temperature change, cause changes in Gaussian curvature or topology. WS4 also pursues active nematics, their connections with solid nematics, and the role of defects in active systems.

I shall review the themes of the workshop, concentrating on those less familiar to liquid crystal specialists.

This talk is part of the Isaac Newton Institute Seminar Series series.

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