Shear-Induced Regime of Temperature Gradient Formation in a Thin Nematic Channel

Abstract

It has been shown by means of numerical methods, in the framework of the classical Ericksen-Leslie theory, together with accounting the entropy balance equation, how a temperature gradient, in the initially uniformly heated a hybrid-oriented liquid crystal (HOLC) channel, may set up under action of a shear stress (SS). The cases of complete and partial thermal insulation of one of the boundary surfaces of the HOLC are analyzed under the condition that a constant temperature is kept on the rest boundaries. It also has been shown how to heat up the planarly oriented upper boundary of the HOLC channel under the influence of the SS and, thereby, to form the temperature gradient across the HOLC channel.