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New Zealand Mathematics Colloquium 1999
July 6-9, 1999
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury
Christchurch, New Zealand

Organizers
Doris Barnard, Therese Boustead, Chris Price, Bruce Robson, Gunter Steinke, Graeme Wake, Allan Willms

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Minimal Surface Modelling of Surfactant Liquid Crystals: Comparison of Theoretical and Experimental X-ray Diffraction Patterns
by
John Enlow
University of Otago
Coauthors: Dr K.M. McGrath (University of Otago), Dr R.L. Enlow (University of Otago), Dr M.W. Tate (Cornell University)

A mathematical model for surfactant liquid crystals is presented here, in which an electron density distribution is specified in the vicinity of an appropriate ``minimal surface''. Diffraction patterns resulting when a hypothetical X-ray beam is focused on the surfactant model are calculated for a nearby detector screen, and the peaks of constructive interference are determined in detail in both magnitude and location. The resulting intensities are compared with experimental results, giving further evidence for the minimal surface nature of surfactant liquid crystals.

Date received: June 2, 1999

Copyright © 1999 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cacc-33.