1: Soft Matter, emphasis on Liquid Crystals
Soft Matter Physics by Oleg and Maurice presents a very comprehensive account of the fundamental principles critical to understanding the phase behavior, disinclinations, defects, elasticity and dynamics of anisotropic phases. The material covered will be of interest to everyone even remotely connected with the study of liquid crystals.
The discussions are fairly recent, and the emphasis is on leading the reader through nearly every aspect of liquid crystal behavior, explained through a rich collection of equations, diagrams and analogies. A good understanding of this matter automatically leads to understanding of the other soft materials like colloids and polymers, that are discussed in last two chapters of the book. This book is uniquely useful in the detailed discussion of nematodynamics, elasticity of mesomorphic phases, dynamics of defects and disinclinations, liquid crystal order and phase transitions, fractals and growth phenomenon, drops of anistropic fluids: the insight offered for these topics makes it a must buy for the graduate students and scientists fascinated by LC phases.
One may wish to start with P. J. Collins to appreciate the beautiful science of liquid crystals, (its a book without equations), follow it up with this treatise to comprehend the mathematical details of phenomenon, then delve into the classic by de Gennes to learn the concepts from the master, and I guess finish off with Chaikin and Lubensky to become an expert in aspects related to liquid crystalline phases.
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