Revisiting the two-dimensional defect-free azimuthal nematic equilibrium on an annulus

We study the azimuthal defect-free nematic state on a two-dimensional annulus within a simplified and reduced two-dimensional Landau–de Gennes model for nematic liquid crystals. We perform a detailed asymptotic analysis of the instabilities of the defect-free state in terms of a dimensionless material and temperature-dependent variable and the annular aspect ratio. The asymptotic analysis is accompanied by a rigorous local stability result, again in terms of a dimensionless material and temperature-dependent parameter and annular aspect ratio. In contrast to Oseen-Frank predictions, the defect-free state can be unstable in this model, with elastic isotropy and strong anchoring, for a range of macroscopically relevant annular aspect ratios.