https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00387-3
Regular Article - Soft Matter
Statics and dynamics of point boojums, line and modified Saturn ring topological defects in nematic confined geometry
Osipyan Institute of Solid State Physics RAS, 142432, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
Received:
9
October
2023
Accepted:
22
November
2023
Published online:
7
December
2023
In this paper we study the static structure and the dynamics of topological defects associated with isotropic droplets in nematic environment. Investigations were made in confined geometry of optical cells when the droplet size was of the order of or larger than the gap of the cell. We observed the coexistence of point boojums and Saturn ring or modified Saturn ring defects. We found transformation of the Saturn ring defect to two localized broad defects at increasing the droplet size. At droplet coalescence antipodes of point and localized broad defects were born and the dynamics of their annihilation with existing defects was investigated. We found strong difference in the process of annihilation of point and localized broad defects.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, SIF and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.