CRITICAL-BEHAVIOR AT THE SMECTIC-A TO NEMATIC TRANSITION CONFINED TO A RANDOM NETWORK

Authors
QIAN SH IANNACCHIONE GS FINOTELLO D
Citation
Sh. Qian et al., CRITICAL-BEHAVIOR AT THE SMECTIC-A TO NEMATIC TRANSITION CONFINED TO A RANDOM NETWORK, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics, 53(5), 1996, pp. 4291-4294
Citations number
38
Categorie Soggetti
Physycs, Mathematical","Phsycs, Fluid & Plasmas
Journal title
Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics → ACNP
ISSN journal
1063651X
Volume
53
Issue
5
Year of publication
1996
Part
A
Pages
4291 - 4294
Database
ISI
SICI code
1063-651X(1996)53:5<4291:CATSTN>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
The smectic-A to nematic (Sm-A-N) transition was studied confined to t he randomly interconnected voids of Millipore filters via a high resol ution calorimetry. The heat capacity peaks evolve from sharp and promi nent to broad and small depending on void size. The random confinement drives the heat capacity critical exponent from the bulk value toward s zero, indicating a confinement-induced decoupling of smectic and nem atic order parameters.