Convection in an annular smectic film

This movie shows a smectic liquid crystal film, rather like a soap film, suspended across an annular hole. The film convects when a small voltage is applied between the inner and outer edges. The outer diameter is 1 cm, and the film less than 1 micron thick. Under reflected white light, it shows a nearly uniform blue interference color, indicating that it is almost uniform in thickness. When convection starts, the slight nonuniformity of the thickness is advected around so you can see the flow. The movie is in real time.

See http://www.physics.utoronto.ca/nonlinear/smectic_papers.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• convection
• experiment
• physics
• pattern
• formation
• liquid
• crystal

[pelicland]

astonishing. It really shows the liquid crystalline properties.

[stevehillmann]

very cool