Structures and thermoelectric convection in cholesteric liquid crystals

The possibilities for excitation of electromagnetic field structures and convection cells, i.e., temperature and velocity structures, in a thermotropic cholesteric liquid crystal in the presence of flow are studied. Estimates are made and possible experiments for observing such structures are discussed. A special thermoelectric effect is investigated as the cause of these excitations — the influence of a heating-induced change in the pitch of the cholesteric helix of the molecules on the permittivity and the electric conductivity of the material.