Dielectric relaxation studies in nematic mixtures of $p$-pentyl-$p^{\prime }$-cyanonobiphenyl and $p$-pentyl-$p^{\prime }$-cyanoterphenyl show two relaxation processes with different activation energies for $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{E}}\parallel \overrightarrow{\mathrm{n}}$. Dielectric relaxation with $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{E}}\parallel \overrightarrow{\mathrm{n}}$ is predominantly a single-particle process and probes molecular interactions at large angles.

• Received 26 December 1979

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.23.1434