Formation and stability of smectic C chevrons

We have investigated theoretically chevron formation in smectic C materials and the transformation of this chevron structure to a tilted layer structu re as the cell is sheared. We find a series of transition temperatures at w hich the behaviour of the cell critically changes and the number of possibl e cell configurations increases. These structures include tilted layers, si ngle chevrons, multiple chevrons and asymmetric chevrons. Although most of the more complex multiple chevron structures are unstable we show, using a relatively simple dynamical model, that these structures may appear transie ntly during the formation of the stable, single chevron structure.