We investigate spinodal decomposition kinetics of an initially nematic dispersion of rod-like viruses (fd virus). Quench experiments are performed from a flow-stabilized homogeneous nematic state at high shear rate into the two-phase isotropic-nematic coexistence region at zero shear rate. We present experimental evidence that spinodal decomposition is driven by orientational diffusion, in accordance with a very recent theory.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0601124,
title = {Nematic-Isotropic Spinodal Decomposition Kinetics of Rod-like Viruses},
author = {M. Paul Lettinga and Kyongok Kang and Peter Holmqvist and Arnout Imhof and Didi Derks and Jan K. G. Dhont},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0601124},
year = {2009}
}