CONSTRAINED LIQUID-CRYSTALS AND POLYMER NETWORKS - A TEXTURE STUDY OFELASTICITY AND ORDERING

Nematic liquid crystals confined to cylindrical cavities, and polymer networks constrained by the presence of an oriented liquid crystal are studied. Frank elastic theory is used to predict stable nematic struc tures and to calculate their corresponding interference patterns (text ures) for structures observed with a polarizing microscope. The compar ison of theoretical and experimental textures are used to investigate nematic ordering which result in the measurement of the bend-to-splay (K-33/K-11) bulk elastic constant ratio, the saddle-splay-to-splay (K- 24/K-11) surface elastic constant ratio, and the degree of orientation al order of polymer networks induced by the nematic liquid crystal dur ing the formation of these networks.