Eur. Phys. J. E (2011) 34: 75
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2011-11075-x

Regular Article

Spatio-temporal dynamics, patterns formation and turbulence in complex fluids due to electrohydrodynamics instabilities

¹ INLN, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, 1361 route des Lucioles, 06560, Valbonne, France
² Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Ponte P. Bucci cubo 31C, 87036, Rende (CS), Italy
³ Liquid Crystal Laboratory, IPCF-CNR, Ponte P. Bucci, cubo 31C, 87036, Rende (CS), Italy

^* e-mail: sorriso@fis.unical.it

Received: 4 April 2011
Accepted: 7 July 2011
Published online: 3 August 2011

Abstract

The complex spatio-temporal dynamics generated by electrohydrodynamics instabilities in a nematic liquid crystal under the action of a driving oscillating electric field is investigated. Quasi-stationary convective structures which are visible at large scales are broken into chaotic patterns at higher driving voltages, thus generating small-scale structures. Scaling analysis reveals that these small-scale structures self-organize in a network of subleading structures which are reminescent of convective rolls. This network persists well inside the chaotic regimes, disappearing only at very high voltages, where stochastic dynamical scattering mode takes place.