On the hydrodynamics of biaxial nematic liquid crystals. II: Steady-state analysis (Q1190718)

[For part I, see the foregoing entry.] The author investigates the steady states of the relaxation equation for order tensors that are near a biaxial equilibrium set when an affine, isochoric fluid flow is imposed upon the fluid. He analyzes the extent to which symmetry in the perturbing velocity gradient induces symmetry- related families of steady states, and a general description of the set of steady states near a biaxial equilibrium orbit. It is shown that in the case of extensional flows there are six steady states when \(D\) (\(D\) is the stretching, the symmetric part of the velocity gradient) has unequal eigenvalues and three circles of steady states when \(D\) has two equal eigenvalues. In planar flows there appears a dimensionless bifurcation parameter called the vorticity number that controls the number of steady states at small velocity gradients. It is demonstrated that there are 6, 4, 2 or 0 steady states, each with one principal axis normal to the plane of flow. As this parameter goes from zero to infinity, the steady states coalesce in pairs near three critical vorticity numbers. The linearized stability of the obtained steady states is analyzed. For extensional flows there are four distinct patterns of bifurcations with changes of stability near the three critical vorticity numbers, as well as the fourth vorticity number near which no steady states are lost or gained, but an exchange of stability takes place. The bifurcation set of planar flows is partly determined. It contains the points where steady states coalesce as well as the point where exchange of stability takes place.