{"title":"Statics and dynamics of point boojums, line and modified Saturn ring topological defects in nematic confined geometry","authors":"P. V. Dolganov, N. A. Spiridenko, V. K. Dolganov","doi":"10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00387-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In this paper we study the static structure and the dynamics of topological defects associated with isotropic droplets in nematic environment. Investigations were made in confined geometry of optical cells when the droplet size was of the order of or larger than the gap of the cell. We observed the coexistence of point boojums and Saturn ring or modified Saturn ring defects. We found transformation of the Saturn ring defect to two localized broad defects at increasing the droplet size. At droplet coalescence antipodes of point and localized broad defects were born and the dynamics of their annihilation with existing defects was investigated. We found strong difference in the process of annihilation of point and localized broad defects.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div><div><p>Microscope images of isotropic droplets in nematic environment in a planar cell. The director orientation far from the droplets is in horizontal direction. The photographs were taken with crossed vertical and horizontal polarizers (<b>a</b>) and with a single horizontal polarizer (<b>b</b>). The cell thickness is 100 μm. Droplet diameter is less than the cell thickness. 1 and 2 are point boojums, L is the Saturn ring defect</p></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":790,"journal":{"name":"The European Physical Journal E","volume":"46 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00387-3.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"The European Physical Journal E","FirstCategoryId":"4","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00387-3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In this paper we study the static structure and the dynamics of topological defects associated with isotropic droplets in nematic environment. Investigations were made in confined geometry of optical cells when the droplet size was of the order of or larger than the gap of the cell. We observed the coexistence of point boojums and Saturn ring or modified Saturn ring defects. We found transformation of the Saturn ring defect to two localized broad defects at increasing the droplet size. At droplet coalescence antipodes of point and localized broad defects were born and the dynamics of their annihilation with existing defects was investigated. We found strong difference in the process of annihilation of point and localized broad defects.
期刊介绍:
EPJ E publishes papers describing advances in the understanding of physical aspects of Soft, Liquid and Living Systems.
Soft matter is a generic term for a large group of condensed, often heterogeneous systems -- often also called complex fluids -- that display a large response to weak external perturbations and that possess properties governed by slow internal dynamics.
Flowing matter refers to all systems that can actually flow, from simple to multiphase liquids, from foams to granular matter.
Living matter concerns the new physics that emerges from novel insights into the properties and behaviours of living systems. Furthermore, it aims at developing new concepts and quantitative approaches for the study of biological phenomena. Approaches from soft matter physics and statistical physics play a key role in this research.
The journal includes reports of experimental, computational and theoretical studies and appeals to the broad interdisciplinary communities including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and materials science.