Scaled particle theory of a system of right circular cylinders subjected to an attractive potential

Abstract

We extend the scaled particle theory of a system of hard right circular cylinders by including a mean field attractive potential of the Maier and Saupe type. The order parameters, internal energy change, density change and the isothermal compressibility of the isotropic phase at the nematic-isotropic transition point are studied for various values of R the radius to height ratio of the cylinders. As in the case of the hard right circular cylinders, there is an approximate symmetry in the phase transition properties between the disc-like and rod-like regions when plotted as functions of the ratio of the larger to smaller dimension of the cylinders.