Nematic first order phase transition for liquid crystals in the van der Waals-Kac limit

DOI10.1063/5.0007613zbMATH Open1455.82006arXiv2002.12875OpenAlexW3008509173MaRDI QIDQ5141100FDOQ5141100

Authors: C. Erignoux, A. Giuliani 

Publication date: 17 December 2020

Published in: Journal of Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In this paper we revisit and extend some mathematical aspects of Onsager's theory of liquid crystals that have been investigated in recent years by different communities (statistical mechanics, analysis and probability). We introduce a model of anisotropic molecules with three-dimensional orientations interacting via a Kac-type interaction. We prove that, in the limit in which the range of the interaction is sent to infinity after the thermodynamic limit, the free energy tends to the infimum of an effective energy functional `a la Onsager. We then prove that, if the spherical harmonic transform of the angular interaction has a negative minimum, this effective free energy functional displays a first order phase transition as the total density of the system increases.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.12875

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zbMATH Keywords

phase transitionliquid crystalsOnsager's theoryKac-type interaction

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Molecular physics (81V55) Phase transitions (general) in equilibrium statistical mechanics (82B26) Interacting particle systems in time-dependent statistical mechanics (82C22) Statistical mechanics of random media, disordered materials (including liquid crystals and spin glasses) (82D30) Irreversible thermodynamics, including Onsager-Machlup theory (82B35)

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Cited In (6)

• An invertible discrete auditory transform
• The Oseen-Frank limit of Onsager's molecular theory for liquid crystals
• Non-analyticity and the van der Waals limit
• Nematic liquid crystal phase in a system of interacting dimers and monomers
• Oseen-Frank-type theories of ordered media as the \(\Gamma\)-limit of a non-local mean-field free energy
• A note on the Onsager model of nematic phase transitions

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