Eur. Phys. J. E (2004) 14: 339-340
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2004-10029-9

Reply to the Commentary by O. Stenull and T.C. Lubensky on “Mechanical properties of mono-domain side-chain nematic elastomers”

¹ Laboratoire de Dynamique des Fluides Complexes, UMR CNRS-ULP n 7506, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67070, Strasbourg, France
² Institut für Makromolekulare Chemie, Stephan-Meier-Str. 31, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
³ Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung, Postfach 3148, 55021, Mainz, Germany
⁴ Theoretische Physik III, Universität Bayreuth, 95440, Bayreuth, Germany

^* e-mail: philippe.martinoty@ldfc.u-strasbg.fr

Abstract

We point out that all samples we have studied experimentally are beyond the critical point and that all experimental results on mechanical properties obtained for nematic side-chain elastomers can be interpreted without ever using the concepts of “soft” or “semi-soft” elasticity.