FLUCTUATIONS AND LIGHT-SCATTERING IN LIQU ID-CRYSTALS

Theoretical and experimental problems of studying liquid crystals by m eans of the light scattering are discussed. Nematic. cholesteric and s mectic liquid crystals in the ordered as well as anisotropic phase are considered. All types of order parameter fluctuations are described. The influence of such unusual properties as strong anisotropy, gyrotro py and one dimensional periodic structure of liquid crystals on the li ght-scattering process is considered in detail. The Green's function a ccounting for these properties are presented. A finite-size and the su rface effect influence on the fluctuations and light-scattering proces ses are considered. The multiple scattering problem is discussed. The theoretical results are illustrated with experimental data.