The theory of spin relaxation for liquid crystals is examined with the objective of properly analyzing the statisticalinterdependence of the faster rotational reorientation of the individual spinhyphen;bearing molecules and the (slower) director or orderhyphen;parameter fluctuations. The analysis is presented in terms of a composite Markov process including both types of motions. It is shown that one recovers a sum of spectralhyphen;density terms which, in lowest order in fluctuations, correspond to (1) reorientation of the molecule relative to the equilibrium potential of mean torque, (2) effects of director fluctuations, and (3) a negative crosshyphen;term between these two processes which bears a simple relation to (2). Detailed results are given for the particular models of director fluctuations in the nematic phase, quasicritical order fluctuations on either side of the isotropicndash;nematic phase transition, and slow fluctuations in the local structure. Effects of localized cooperative modes of molecular reorientation are also included. Explicit expressions for NMR and ESR relaxation and line shapes are given. The results obtained here clearly demonstrate some weaknesses in previous treatments which were presumed to be based on an assumption of the statistical independence of the different motional processes. Discussion is also given on how to formulate director fluctuations as a multidimensional Markov process, and on the applicability of motional narrowing theory in these cases where director fluctuations have very slowly relaxing components.
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