Thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and heat-capacity studies at the smectic-A-nematic transition in alkylcyanobiphenyl liquid crystals.

Abstract

Thermal conductivity, diffusivity, and specific-heat studies were carried out simultaneously over the smectic-A--nematic transition in alkylcyanobiphenyl liquid crystals with different nematic ranges. The critical exponents of all the thermal parameters have been calculated and discussed in terms of the dynamic scaling law of the asymmetric planar magnet model, which applies to three-dimensional XY-like transitions.