Can elemental bismuth be a liquid crystal?
Abstract
A number of anomalies have been reported in molten Bi, including a first-order liquid-liquid transition at 1010K and ambient pressure, which is irreversible at cooling rates of several degrees per minute. An interpretation of these effects as due to long-range orientational order is suggested. Significant evidence for directionality in liquid Bi, albeit only immediately after melting, is available in experiments made circa 1930. Further experimentation is called for.
0
Turn this paper into a lesson
ArcXiv compiles a structured reading guide from this paper's metadata: plain-English importance, contributions, prerequisite concepts, which sections to read first, flashcards, and a quiz. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.