Computer simulation of fractionation in bidisperse liquid crystals

We present evidence of fractionation at the isotropic-nematic transition in a bidisperse liquid crystal system, using the Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo technique([1]) and the generalised Gay-Berne potential([2]). Using a 50:50 mixture of prolate molecules with identical breadths but different length to breadth ratios, fractionation was observed which shows qualitative agreement with the coexistence behaviour predicted by mean field theory([3]).