Speaker: Qi Wang
Title: Modeling Flows of Nematic Liquid Crystal Polymers.
Affiliation: Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis.
Date: Friday, February 9, 2001.
Place and Time: Room 101 - Love Building, 3:35-4:30 pm.
Refreshments: Room 204 - Love Building, 3:00 pm.

Abstract. Liquid crystal polymers are materials capable of forming orientational and spatial orders due to their anisotropic molecular configurations. In flows of the material, the molecular orientation couples strongly with the flow field leading to many fascinating phenomena and optical patterns and extraordinary material properties.
    In the talk, I will present a hydrodynamic theory for nohomogeneous nematic liquid crystal polymers applicable to both rodlike and disklike configurations. I will then briefly discuss the model prediction on equilibria and plane shear flows. In particular, I will focus on the flow orientation coupling and its effect on flow as well as orientational patterns.