On the Existence of Infinitely Many Limit Points on the Solution Branch of Planar Shear Flow of Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract

We use the Ericksen᎐Leslie equations to investigate the solution branch of simple planar shear flow between moving parallel plates for non-flow-orienting nematic liquid crystals. We show the existence of infinitely many limit points on the solution branch of simple planar shear flow. Hence the tumbling phenomena observed in experiments can be explained as the exchange of stability of the planar configuration by another planar configuration with a more distorted director field.ᮊ 1997 Academic Press