A New Classification System for Thermotropic Smectic Phases

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Abstract
In the presently used classification (SA, SB, etc.) there is no logical relationship between the symbol identifying a phase and the molecular packing characteristic for that phase. For this reason a new classification system is introduced in which the phases are classified on the basis of their structure, and in which a similarity in phase symbol indicates a similarity in structure. In this classification system, the phases are grouped into three main classes (α, β, γ) according to the degree of order in the molecnlar packing. Within each main class the different phase types are designated as a, etc. After a description of this classification, a number of comments are made concerning some questions prompted by the classification and concerning the structure of the various phase types.