Condensed Matter Physics, 2013, vol. 16, No. 1, 14002
DOI:10.5488/CMP.16.14002           arXiv:1303.5592

Title: Nematic fluid at a hard wall in the mean field approximation
Author(s):
  M. Holovko (Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1 Svientsitskii Street, 79011 Lviv, Ukraine; email for correspondence: ivankr@icmp.lviv.ua)
  I. Kravtsiv (Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1 Svientsitskii Street, 79011 Lviv, Ukraine)
  D. di Caprio (Laboratoire d'Electrochimie, Chimie des Interfaces et Modélisation pour l'Energie (LECIME) ENSCP, Chimie ParisTech, Case 39, 4, Pl. Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France)

In the framework of a field theoretical approach we study Maier-Saupe nematogenic fluid in contact with a hard wall. The pair interaction potential of the considered model consists of an isotropic and an anisotropic Yukawa terms. In the mean field approximation the contact theorem is proved. For the case when the nematic director is oriented perpendicular to the wall, analytical expressions for the density and order parameter profiles are obtained. It is shown that in a certain thermodynamic region the nematic fluid near the interface can be more diluted and less orientationally ordered than in the bulk region.

Key words: Maier-Saupe nematogenic fluid, field theoretical approach, interface, contact theorem
PACS: 61.30.Gd, 68.08.-p, 61.30.Hn


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