Abstract
Stable fluid filaments with diameters of several micrometers and slenderness ratios well above 1000 are unique objects formed by some liquid crystalline phases of bent-core mesogens. We present a technique to determine filament tensions from their deflection under defined loads. A strong temperature dependence is observed, with a minimum near the clearing temperature. Both the nonlinear relation between filament tension and diameter and the substantial increase of the tension with lower temperatures indicate contributions of volume terms, in addition to surface capillary forces. We discuss a model that relates these bulk terms to elastic forces, originating from the undulated smectic layer structure. This model can explain the origin of the filament stability.
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