Do cylinders exhibit a cubatic phase?

We investigate the possibility that freely rotating cylinders with an aspec t ratio L/D=0.9 exhibit a cubatic phase similar to the one found for a syst em of cut spheres. We present theoretical arguments why a cubatic phase mig ht occur in this particular system. Monte Carlo simulations do not confirm the existence of a cubatic phase for cylinders. However, they do reveal an unexpected phase behavior between the isotropic and crystalline phase. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(99)52222-8].