Electrohydrodynamic instability in some nematic cyanobiphenyls under a DC field

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Abstract
A recently observed new type of electrohydrodynamic instability in homeotropically aligned nematic samples with high positive dielectric anisotropy and low positive conductivity anisotropy has been studied in greater detail. Some similarities between this instability and thermally induced Rayleigh-Benard instability have been found in the authors' investigations. It is pointed out that the effects of dielectric anisotropy, charge injection due to the thermionic emission process and of the diffusion current have to be taken into account to explain the observed domains of the Felici-Benard type of instability.