Stability of liquid crystalline bridges

The stability of cylindrical bridges of the liquid crystal octylcyanobiphen yl in an immiscible liquid bath was investigated in the nematic and smectic A phases. In the nematic phase the bridge was found to destabilize at a le ngth-to-diameter (slenderness) ratio R similar to that of ordinary Newtonia n fluids. On the other hand, the Bingham behavior of the smectic A phase, i .e., an apparent yield stress, enabled the formation of stable columns with R well in excess of pi. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-663 1(99)01102-2].