Isotropic-nematic transition in hard-rod fluids: relation between continuous and restricted-orientation models

dc.creatorShundyak, Kostya
dc.creatorvan Roij, René
dc.date2003-11-21
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-25T22:55:06Z
dc.descriptionWe explore models of hard-rod fluids with a finite number of allowed orientations, and construct their bulk phase diagrams within Onsager's second virial theory. For a one-component fluid, we show that the discretization of the orientations leads to the existence of an artificial (almost) perfectly aligned nematic phase, which coexists with the (physical) nematic phase if the number of orientations is sufficiently large, or with the isotropic phase if the number of orientations is small. Its appearance correlates with the accuracy of sampling the nematic orientation distribution within its typical opening angle. For a binary mixture this artificial phase also exists, and a much larger number of orientations is required to shift it to such high densities that it does not interfere with the physical part of the phase diagram.
dc.description4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PRE
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0311505
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0311505
dc.identifierPhysical Review E 69, 041703 (2004)
dc.identifierdoi:10.1103/PhysRevE.69.041703
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.dare.co.zw/handle/123456789/93754
dc.subjectSoft Condensed Matter
dc.titleIsotropic-nematic transition in hard-rod fluids: relation between continuous and restricted-orientation models
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