Figure 6.

Tubular membrane structures as a function of the texture of the in-plane nematic field. Shown are (a) the isotropic phase when ε_LL = 0, (b) in the vicinity of the isotropic-nematic transition when ε_LL = 0.9k_BT and (c) the nematic phase when ε_LL = 3k_BT. The arrows mark the location of the necks from which the branched structures emanate. All data correspond to a fully decorated nematic membrane with J = 0, $C_0^{\parallel }=0.6$, κ^∥ = 5k_BT and κ = 10k_BT.