We consider a recent experiment of Kundler and Finkelmann (1995), who subjected an aligned specimen of nematic elastomer to uniaxial extension and observed the formation of striped domains. Working with an energy density that combines the effects included in the new-Hookean theory of namitic rubber elasticity with the Oseen-Zöcher-Frank theory of nematic curvature-elasticity and assuming that the deformation and orientation fields remain in-plane, we arrive at a boundary-value problem which admits solutions corresponding to striped states. We use bifurcation theory to explore the local stability of these solutions. We also obtain analytical estimates for the energy and thickness of interstripe domain walls as functions of imposed extension and compare these with numerical predictions.
Publisher
Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (UIUC)
TAM technical reports include manuscripts intended for publication, theses judged to have general interest, notes prepared for short courses, symposia compiled from outstanding undergraduate projects, and reports prepared for research-sponsoring agencies.
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