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Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol.217, No.3, 332-343, 2000
Banded spherulitic growth in a liquid crystal
Spherulitic growth produces radial arrays of polycrystalline aggregates in a wide variety of materials, ranging from pure elements to macromolecules. Despite more than a century of study, a generally accepted theory of spherulitic growth is lacking; indeed, the existence of a common mechanism is debated. One commonly seen subset of this growth morphology - banded spherulites - exhibits bands concentric about the spherulite centers. These bands have been well characterized in polymer spherulites, but remain poorly understood. Comparisons of such bands in a diverse variety of materials will help establish a general mechanism for their formation. Here we present a detailed optical and atomic-force microscopy study of banding in a liquid crystalline material.