Structure of hard-core liquid crystals

Abstract

The results of recent computer simulations on fluids of nonspherical hard-core particles are discussed. New data are presented on the structure and dynamics of a system of hard spherocylinders with length-to-width ratio LID = 5. These data show that such spherocylinders can occur in at least four stable phases, viz., isotropic fluid, nematic liquid crystal, crystalline solid, and, surprisingly, a smectic A phase.