Shear-induced first-order transition in polar liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper investigates how an often-overlooked shear-elongation parameter in polar liquid crystals can induce a shear-driven first-order phase transition from isotropic to polar states, altering their flow behavior.

Contribution

It introduces the shear-elongation parameter into the hydrodynamic theory, revealing its role in causing a shear-induced first-order transition not previously described.

Findings

Shear-elongation parameter causes |p| to vary under flow.

Induces a shear-driven first-order phase transition.

Significantly alters rheological properties of polar fluids.

Abstract

The hydrodynamic theory of polar liquid crystals is widely used to describe biological active fluids as well as passive molecular materials. Depending on the `shear-alignment parameter', in passive or weakly active polar fluids under external shear the polar order parameter ${\mathbf{p}}$ is either inclined to the flow at a fixed (Leslie) angle, or rotates continuously. Here we study the role of an additional `shear-elongation parameter' that has been neglected in the recent literature and causes $|{\mathbf{p}}|$ to change under flow. We show that this effect can give rise to a shear-induced first order phase transition %(instead of the usual second order transition) from isotropic to polar, and significantly change the rheological properties of both active and passive polar fluids.