Isotropic-nematic phase transition and angular correlations in isotropic suspensions of tobacco mosaic virus

Abstract

The specific magnetic-field-induced birefringence is measured in isotropic suspensions of the rodlike particle tobacco mosaic virus as a function of concentration and added salt. This quantity is proportional to the angular correlations between particles at zero field. In addition, the isotropic-nematic coexistence concentrations are measured as a function of ionic strength. The data compare well with a scaled functional theory assuming decoupling between the angular and spatial degrees of freedom.