High-density scaling solution to the Onsager model of lyotropic nematics

FOM-Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF), Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Received: 3 January 1996
Accepted: 7 March 1996

Abstract

We show that the exact orientation distribution function (ODF) of the Onsager model for the nematic liquid crystalline phase of thin hard rod-like particles at high density can be scaled onto a single curve, which needs to be determined numerically only once. The scaling solution is in better agreement with simulation results on a system of sphero-cylinders of length-to-width ratio L/D=40 than the Gaussian ODF, hitherto believed to be the best representation. The phase behaviour determined from the scaling solution, and from its first-order low-density correction, are compared to the exact results.