ALIGNMENT TENSOR VERSUS DIRECTOR - DESCRIPTION OF DEFECTS IN NEMATIC LIQUID-CRYSTALS

The core structure of nematic defects cannot be represented by the usu al director field, but requires the description by the full alignment tenser. We have developed an algorithm which solves a dynamic equation for the alignment tenser in three dimensions (3D). This algorithm is applied to a capillary (2D) and to a spherical droplet (3D), both with perpendicular anchoring. We predict symmetry-breaking, temperature-de pendent, first-order configuration transitions both for the capillary and for the droplet geometries as results. These results are compared to known solutions obtained with the standard vectorial calculus.