D. Harley Klein1, Hector D. Ceniceros2, Carlos J. Garcia-Cervera2, and L. Gary Leal1. (1) Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Engineering II, Rm 3357, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, (2) Mathematics, University of California Santa Barbara, South Hall, Rm 6710, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
We report on fully 3D numerical solutions for the motion of a model nematic LCP in a simple shear flow device. The solutions are fully coupled, including both the flow and the material microstructure as unknowns. They show, for the first time, a prediction of the formation of a complete disclination loop, thus providing an understanding of previous results, which were restricted to spatial gradients in the vorticity-velocity gradient plane. Comparisons with experimental data shows that there is a much better correspondence with measured conditions for the various flow and microstructure transitions that are observed.