C. Papenfuss, J. Verhas and W. Muschik
A simplified thermodynamic theory for biaxial nematics
Z. Naturforsch. 50a, 1995, 795-804
A continuum theory of a biaxial nematic phase in liquid crystals is
presented. The liquid crystalline ordering is described by a field of
three unit vectors. Because these are macroscopic directors, the
present approach is a generalization of the Ericksen-Leslie theory to
biaxial nematics. The applied tools from nonequilibrium thermodynamics
are classical Linear Irreversible Thermodynamics and Gyarmati's
variational principle.