  A comprehensive modeling and simulation study of the first-order
isotropic/smectic-A transition is presented and applied to phase diagram
computation and two-dimensional spherulite growth. An approach based on
nonlinear optimization, that incorporates experimental data (from 12CB,
dodecyl-cyanobiphenyl), is used to determine physically realistic model
parameters. These parameters are then used in conjunction with an optimized
phase diagram computation method. Additionally, a time-dependent formulation is
presented and applied to the study of two-dimensional smectic-A spherulite
growth. These results show the growth kinematics and defect dynamics of
nanoscale smectic-A spherulite growth in an isotropic phase with an initially
radial layer configuration.
