Liquid crystal monopole?

Behavior of LC phase nuclei in the electric field is reported. The study wa s performed in a cell with a temperature wedge allowing simultaneous observ ation of three regions, i.e. with an LC phase, with an isotropic phase and a transient region. It was possible to apply voltage to: all 3 regions at t he same time. The most interesting effects were observed when electric curr ent was transmitted along the electrodes of one of the substrates made of 5 micron strips with a 20 micron period, The electric current generates LC n uclei in the isotropic phase far from the transient region; generation aris ing from a number of active centers on nothing bur plain electrodes and sto pping when the current is off. The nuclei leave the; active points at a hig h speed, their direction being the same for all of them and strictly perpen dicular to the electrodes. With changing of the direction of the current, t he newly generated nuclei moved in the strictly opposite direction. Such be havior of a nucleus in the magnetic field of the electrodes can be quite ex plicable if it were a classic Dirac monopole.