Polymeric liquid crystals: Frank elasticity and light scattering

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Abstract
We discuss some theoretical features of a nematic phase made of long, partially flexible chains. The bend constant K3 is dominated by the rigidity of the chains. The twist constant K2 is mainly related to the anisotropic couplings between chains. The splay constant is very large (increasing like the square of the molecular mass M). An interesting limit is obtained when the length of the extended chains is larger than the optical wavelength used in a light scattering experiment: then the scattering laws should differ qualitatively from what is known in usual nematics.

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