DIRECTOR FLUCTUATIONS IN INHOMOGENEOUSLY ORDERED NEMATIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS - AN EXTENSION OF ELASTIC MOLECULAR-FIELD

In order to describe the order director fluctuations in nematic liquid crystalline systems with inhomogeneous order parameter, the approach based on Frank elastic theory is extended by introducing spatially dep endent rotational viscosity and elastic constants. Using the proposed model, eigenmodes of director fluctuations in the vicinity of a discli nation line of strength 1 are examined. Particular attention is paid t o the behaviour of fluctuations in the vicinity of the structural tran sition in a cylindrical cavity.