Simultaneous measurement of heat capacity and in-plane density of thin free-standing liquid-crystal films

Abstract
A system for simultaneously measuring the heat capacity and in-plane density of free-standing liquid-crystal films as a function of temperature has been developed. Measurements of two-layer films of the compound 3(10)OBC near the smectic-A–hexatic-B transition have been completed. The results do not support the existing 2D-XY theoretical model that supposedly describes this transition.