The nematic liquid crystal phase is a phase of matter in which the particles have a preferred\ud
orientational direction, as opposed to the liquid phase, with no preferred direction, and the\ud
solid crystal phase, with an ordered lattice structure. In an aggregated dye, or chromonic,\ud
liquid crystal, molecules come together in aggregates, and these aggregates form a liquid\ud
crystal. Aggregated dyes that form liquid crystals have been known for some time, but\ud
few fundamental measurements have been taken prior to this research. Unlike most liquid\ud
crystals, aggregated dye liquid crystals are water-soluble, opening the door to applications\ud
of liquid crystals in the fields of biology and medicine. In order to move ahead with explorations\ud
of applications and general understanding of chromonic liquid crystals, more must\ud
be known about the properties of this phase; thus, this research focuses on one aggregated\ud
dye liquid crystal, aqueous Sunset Yellow FCF. Phase diagram measurements, birefringence\ud
measurements, and order parameter measurements were obtained for aqueous Sunset Yellow.\ud
A general model of the aggregation consistent with both the results of the birefringence\ud
measurements and the results of the order parameter measurements is suggested in which\ud
the nitrogen-nitrogen double bonds of the Sunset Yellow molecule are perpendicular to the\ud
long axis of the aggregate
