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1993

William & Mary

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physics

A Study Of Molecular Order And Motion In Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixtures, Jon Michael Goetz Jan 1993

A Study Of Molecular Order And Motion In Nematic Liquid Crystal Mixtures, Jon Michael Goetz

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Materials which flow like fluids, but possess anisotropic properties like molecular crystals, are called 'liquid crystals'. Studies of liquid crystals contribute to our understanding of how molecular orientation influences macroscopic properties. This thesis presents experimental and theoretical investigations of molecular order and dynamics in nematic liquid crystal systems. First, deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance is used to determine the degree of orientational order of both components of a liquid crystal mixture simultaneously. The temperature dependence of the four order parameters is interpreted using a newly developed mean field theory of nematic binary mixtures composed of biaxial molecules. Next, mean field theory …


Photoabsorption Spectra Of Hydrogen In Magnetic Fields, John A. Shaw Jan 1993

Photoabsorption Spectra Of Hydrogen In Magnetic Fields, John A. Shaw

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Measurements of the absorption spectrum of atomic H in strong magnetic fields have been analyzed. The measurements, performed by the Bielefeld, Germany experimental group, investigated the photoabsorption to levels near the ionization threshold in magnetic fields ranging from 2.7 to 6 Tesla. Taking advantage of a classical scaling law, the photon energy and the magnetic field strength were varied simultaneously in the experiment and the absorption rate vs. B{dollar}\sp{lcub}-1/3{rcub}{dollar} at fixed scaled-energy, {dollar}\varepsilon{dollar} = E/(B/B{dollar}\sb{lcub}\rm o{rcub})\sp{lcub}2/3{rcub}{dollar} was measured. The absorption rate was observed to exhibit sinusoidal fluctuations which we correlate with closed classical orbit of the electron. A Fourier transformation …