NONLINEAR HYDRODYNAMICS OF STRONGLY DEFORMED SMECTIC-C AND C-ASTERISKLIQUID-CRYSTALS

The statics and dynamics of smectic C (and C) liquid crystals has bee n a long-standing topic for investigations. All the previous descripti ons, how-ever, have been restricted in some sense. Either the theories were linear, or flat layers were assumed, or the layer thickness was taken to be constant, or only statics was considered, or the descripti on (in the chiral case) included terms not compatible with layering. H ere we will give a nonlinear hydrodynamic theory, which applies to str ongly curved layers, non-flat 'ground' states, strongly compressed lay ers as well as strongly deformed director orientations. Some discrepan cies between previous theories are resolved.