[Quasithermal crystallization of cholesteric mixtures]

Behaviour of cholesteric mixtures transiting into isotropic state at 30-38 degrees C kept at 20 degrees C for a long time was studied. It is found that besides transitions from a flat to cylindrical texture concerned with the defects in the sample, crystallization of the mixtures according to the dislocation mechanism is possible. The critical size of crystallization nuclei was estimated. The discovered phenomenon of dislocation growth of crystals from the cholesteric mixture is important for studying the mechanisms of crystallic phase isolation from cholesteric mixtures and for understanding of the crystallization processes in biological liquid crystal systems.