Nonisothermal nematic liquid crystal flows with the Ball-Majumdar free energy

Abstract: In this paper we prove the existence of global in time weak solutions for an evolutionary PDE system modelling nonisothermal Landau-de Gennes nematic liquid crystal (LC) flows in three dimensions of space. In our model, the incompressible Navier-Stokes system for the macroscopic velocity $\vu$ is coupled to a nonlinear convective parabolic equation describing the evolution of the Q-tensor $\QQ$, namely a tensor-valued variable representing the normalized second order moments of the probability distribution function of the LC molecules. The effects of the (absolute) temperature $\vt$ are prescribed in the form of an energy balance identity complemented with a global entropy production inequality. Compared to previous contributions, we can consider here the physically realistic singular configuration potential $f$ introduced by Ball and Majumdar. This potential gives rise to severe mathematical difficulties since it introduces, in the Q-tensor equation, a term which is at the same time singular in $\QQ$ and degenerate in $\vt$. To treat it a careful analysis of the properties of $f$, particularly of its blow-up rate, is carried out.