Successive Transitions in a Nematic Liquid

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Abstract
The general form of the energy of interaction between two asymmetric molecules is considered. This leads to a generalization of the Maier-Saupe model of a nematic liquid. The exact state of minimum internal energy of the system is found to be biaxial. In the molecular field approximation the consistency relations yield two distinct ordered states, a uniaxial state and a biaxial state. It is shown that with decreasing temperature the fluid will have two successive transitions according to the scheme: isotropicuniaxial orderbiaxial order.