The role of topological defects and textures in the kinetics of phase ordering

In this thesis, I present the results of a theoretical investigation of ordering processes induced by symmetry-breaking quenches in two physical systems. Both systems investigated possess a rich homotopy structure of the order-parameter space, which results in numerous topologically stable objects being generated during the quench, and influencing the properties of the system during the subsequent approach to equilibrium. The results reported are mostly computational in nature. The two systems investigated are (i) nematic liquid crystals, which support topologically stable abelian (in the uniaxial nematic case) and non-abelian (in the biaxial nematic case) singular defects, and (ii) the O(3)-symmetric vector (i.e., Heisenberg-type) system in 2 spatial dimensions, which supports topologically stable, but non-singular objects--topological textures.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Zapotocky, Martin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Goldbart, Paul M.
• Oono, Yoshitsugu

• Engineering, Chemical
• Physics, Condensed Matter
• Biophysics, General

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1996 Zapotocky, Martin

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

9780591199802
AAI9712498
(UMI)AAI9712498

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/19813