SCALING PROPERTIES OF SOFT-CORE PARALLEL SPHEROCYLINDERS NEAR THE CRYSTAL SMECTIC-PHASE TRANSITION

By carrying out constant-pressure molecular-dynamics simulations near the melting transition from crystal to smectic liquid crystal, we char acterize the scaling properties of systems composed of soft-core paral lel spherocylinders. Properties at the transition have a clear depende nce on the length-to-width ratio of the cylinder. These scaling proper ties are explained by introducing the concept of the temperature depen dence of the effective core of the spherocylinders. Utilizing these sc aling properties, the equations of state of systems with different ani sotropy can be scaled onto one another.