A Transient Instability in Thin Films of nCB Liquid Crystals
arXiv:cond-mat/0104439
Abstract
A transient surface instability is reported in thin nematic films of 5CB and 8CB, occurring near the nematic-isotropic phase transition. Although this instability leads to patterns reminiscent of spinodal dewetting, we show that it is actually based on a nucleation mechanism. Its characteristic wavelength does not depend markedly on film thickness, but strongly on the heating rate.
3 pages of text (.tex), 5 figure files (.eps)