Dynamic theory of nematics

In 1992 Leslie [175] published an alternative derivation of the Ericksen-Lesfie theory in the isothermal and incompressible case, which led to a simpler presentation of the results originally derived by Ericksen [73] and Leslie [162, 163]. It is this more recent approach that we partly adopt here it is a more concise exposition of the original theory and allows the derivation of the constitutive theory to be discussed in the more traditional continuum theory variables such as the rate of strain tensor and the relative angular velocity without recoiurse to generalised forces. The Ericksen-Leslie theory will be derived in the next Section and a convenient 

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Couette flow is considered in Section 5.7 and Poiseuille flow is discussed in Section 5.8. Some comments on a scaling analysis for Poiseuille flow of a nematic liquid crystal are contained in Section 5.8.3. These scaling results are important in establishing and validating the Ericksen-LesUe dynamic theory of nematics since they make predictions about flow which were confirmed experimentally. 

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