THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF THE OSCILLATORY CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY IN HOMEOTROPIC NEMATICS HEATED FROM BELOW

Abstract. — A thermodynamic analysis of the recently discovered oscillatory convective insta-bility in homeotropic nematics heated from below is presented. From this analysis it follows that the oscillatory convective instability arises from the competition between a stabilizing effect with a long relaxation time and a destabilizing effect with a short relaxation time. The effect of a stabilizing magnetic field is also considered. 1. Introduction