NEMATIC-ISOTROPIC PHASE COEXISTENCE IN A LEBWOHL-LASHER MODEL BINARY-LIQUID CRYSTAL MIXTURE

Monte Carlo computer simulations were used to investigate the phase be haviour of a Lebwohl-Lasher binary liquid-crystal mixture. A finite-si ze scaling analysis confirmed the first-order nature of the transition . The calculated nematic-isotopic phase coexistence region and the ori entational order parameters for the two species along the phase bounda ry for a sample system were found to deviate significantly from those predicted by a mean-field theory. Increasing the difference between th e isotropic components of the pair-potential of the two species result ed in a broadening of the coexistence region. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e B.V.