MONTE-CARLO SIMULATIONS OF ORIENTATIONAL ORDERING OF SOLUTES IN A NEMATIC SOLVENT - COMPARISON WITH MEAN-FIELD MODELS

Monte Carlo simulations were used to study orientational ordering of s olutes in a nematic phase. Nematogens were modelled as hard prolate el lipsoids with an axis ratio of 5:1. Solutes were also modelled as hard prolate ellipsoids, with a variety of sizes and shape anisotropies. S olute order parameters and singlet orientational distribution function s were analysed using several mean-field models. The results confirm t hat these empirical mean-field potentials are closely linked to the an isotropic short-range repulsive forces that are crucial for the format ion of the nematic phase.