Question

Focal conic domains in these materials can form striking textures like the “flower.” The Kibble–Zurek mechanism was first demonstrated in these materials, because their topological defects, such as disclinations, are easily imaged with POM. The real projective plane is the configuration space of a unit vector describing these materials that is used to define the distortion free energy, the director. (10[1])Landau–de Gennes mean-field theory describes the phase transition from an isotropic phase to these materials. Applying a voltage between a pair of polarizing filters (-5[1])aligns molecules in one of these materials, (-5[1])preventing light transmission, in the twisted nematic effect. (10[2])Cholesteryl (10[1])benzoate was the first of these materials, which have orientational order but flow freely. For 10 points, name these soft materials used in electronic displays. (10[1])■END■ (10[3])

ANSWER: liquid crystals [or mesogens; accept liquid crystal displays; accept nematic liquid crystals or smectic A liquid crystals; accept nematics until read or smectics; prompt on LCDs]
<Physics>
= Average correct buzz position

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Buzzes

PlayerTeamOpponentBuzz PositionValue
Jacob RobertsonOxford ADurham A5910
Ben Russell JonesEdinburghCambridge A83-5
Alexander BakerOxford BBristol90-5
Jake RobertsDurham BKiel9810
Jaime Salamanca CamachoImperial BWarwick9810
Adam JonesImperial ACambridge B9910
Maxwell YeCambridge AEdinburgh12410
Alessandro BogoKCLOxford C12510
James ByrneBristolOxford B12510
Linus LuuCambridge CSheffield12510

Summary

2024 ACF Regionals @ JMU01/27/2024Y1100%0%0%124.00
2024 ACF Regionals @ Nebraska01/27/2024Y667%0%50%123.25
2024 ACF Regionals @ Ohio State01/27/2024Y367%0%67%118.00
2024 ACF Regionals @ Imperial01/27/2024Y8100%0%25%106.63
2024 ACF Regionals @ Vanderbilt01/27/2024Y1100%0%0%96.00
2024 ACF Regionals @ MIT01/27/2024Y5100%0%0%114.60