Fig. 2.
Morphology of nematic vesicles at different bending rigidities. Left: The local Frank (A)–(C), (G) and bending (D)–(F), (H) energy contour plots; for a case of K1 = K3 = 1, (A) and (D), κ = 100.0; (B) and (E), κ = 0.3; (C) and (F), κ = 0.05; for a case of K1 = K3, (G) and (H), κ = 0.04. The total Frank free energies (in units of kBT) are 62.83, 59.06, 57.1, and 65.27, respectively. The normalized total bending energies (in units of kBT) are 12.55, 16.0, 18.58, and 50.34, respectively. Right: Calculated asphericities of nematic vesicles as a function of the inverse bending rigidity of 1/κ. The inverse triangles are for a case of K1 = K3 and the triangles are for a case of K1 ≠ K3(K3/K1 ≈ 2.0). The empty circles represent locations corresponding to the morphologies of (A)(D), (B)(E), (C)(F), and (G)(H).