Pretransitional behavior at the reentrant nematic-isotropic phase transition in a lyotropic liquid crystal

Magnetic susceptibility measurements are reported for the ternary system potassium laurate, 1-decanol, and ${\mathrm{D}}_2$O below the reentrant isotropic-nematic phase transition. The susceptibility was found to diverge with increasing temperature and exhibit a mean-field-like exponent. The results are analyzed and discussed in terms of micellar anisometry controlling the supercooling temperature and thus driving the reentrant transition.