Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity
Liquid-crystal columns were prepared and observed under microgravity aboard suborbital TEXUS rocket flights. The microgravity phase of each flight lasted for approximately six minutes. We tested structures in different liquid-crystalline mesophases. In the isotropic and nematic phases, the Rayleigh-...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Crystals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/8/1092 |
| _version_ | 1797410791654162432 |
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| author | Torsten Trittel Christoph Klopp Kirsten Harth Ralf Stannarius |
| author_facet | Torsten Trittel Christoph Klopp Kirsten Harth Ralf Stannarius |
| author_sort | Torsten Trittel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Liquid-crystal columns were prepared and observed under microgravity aboard suborbital TEXUS rocket flights. The microgravity phase of each flight lasted for approximately six minutes. We tested structures in different liquid-crystalline mesophases. In the isotropic and nematic phases, the Rayleigh-Plateau instability led to the collapse of the columns. However, in the smectic A and C mesophases, it was found that the columns survived the extension to slenderness ratios (length/diameter) of over 4.5 (and in one case, more than 6). The liquid-crystalline material in the millimeter-sized columns was macroscopically disordered. Thus, regular shell-like internal layer structures that stabilized the columns can be excluded. Instead, the reason for their persistence was the yield stress of the material, which is quite different for the different mesophases. In the columnar mesophase, the cylindrical bridge even survived the strong deceleration when the rocket re-entered the atmosphere. During the breakup of the filaments, the neck thinning dynamics were determined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:35:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d57d3a8e60f5498192a14da9b2936711 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:35:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-d57d3a8e60f5498192a14da9b29367112023-12-03T13:30:04ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522022-08-01128109210.3390/cryst12081092Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under MicrogravityTorsten Trittel0Christoph Klopp1Kirsten Harth2Ralf Stannarius3Institute of Physics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, GermanyInstitute of Physics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, GermanyMARS, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, GermanyInstitute of Physics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, D-39106 Magdeburg, GermanyLiquid-crystal columns were prepared and observed under microgravity aboard suborbital TEXUS rocket flights. The microgravity phase of each flight lasted for approximately six minutes. We tested structures in different liquid-crystalline mesophases. In the isotropic and nematic phases, the Rayleigh-Plateau instability led to the collapse of the columns. However, in the smectic A and C mesophases, it was found that the columns survived the extension to slenderness ratios (length/diameter) of over 4.5 (and in one case, more than 6). The liquid-crystalline material in the millimeter-sized columns was macroscopically disordered. Thus, regular shell-like internal layer structures that stabilized the columns can be excluded. Instead, the reason for their persistence was the yield stress of the material, which is quite different for the different mesophases. In the columnar mesophase, the cylindrical bridge even survived the strong deceleration when the rocket re-entered the atmosphere. During the breakup of the filaments, the neck thinning dynamics were determined.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/8/1092smectic liquid-crystalsRayleigh-Plateau instabilityTEXUS suborbital rocketmicrogravity |
| spellingShingle | Torsten Trittel Christoph Klopp Kirsten Harth Ralf Stannarius Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity Crystals smectic liquid-crystals Rayleigh-Plateau instability TEXUS suborbital rocket microgravity |
| title | Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity |
| title_full | Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity |
| title_fullStr | Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity |
| title_short | Stability and Rupture of Liquid Crystal Bridges under Microgravity |
| title_sort | stability and rupture of liquid crystal bridges under microgravity |
| topic | smectic liquid-crystals Rayleigh-Plateau instability TEXUS suborbital rocket microgravity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/8/1092 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT torstentrittel stabilityandruptureofliquidcrystalbridgesundermicrogravity AT christophklopp stabilityandruptureofliquidcrystalbridgesundermicrogravity AT kirstenharth stabilityandruptureofliquidcrystalbridgesundermicrogravity AT ralfstannarius stabilityandruptureofliquidcrystalbridgesundermicrogravity |