Abstract
The dynamic behaviour of the molecular alignment strongly affects the rheologicalproperties of nematic liquid crystals. The closed nonlinear relaxation equation for the fivecomponents of the alignment tensor which was derived within the framework of irreversiblethermodynamics and also inferred from a generalized Fokker–Planck equation led to theprediction (Rienäcker et al 2002 Phys. Rev. E 66 040702(R); Physica A 315 537) that therather complex orientational behaviour of tumbling nematics can even be chaotic in acertain range of the relevant control variables. Here the rheological consequences,in particular the shear stress and the normal stress differences, as well as theunderlying dynamics of the alignment tensor are computed and discussed. Forselected state points, long time averages are evaluated for imposed shear rates.Orientational and rheological properties are presented. The transitions between differentdynamic states are detected and discussed. Representative examples of alignmentorbits and rheological phase portraits give insight into the dynamic behaviour.
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