A dislocation model for the smectic-A---nematic transition is mapped onto a peculiar sort of anistropic superconductor, which is then studied using a momentum-shell renormalization group. The elastic constants behave according to the helium analog, while the specific heat displays an inverted λ anomaly. The x-ray correlation-length exponents are ν_∥ˣ4/5 and ν_⊥ˣ8/15, in fairly good agreement with experiment.
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John Toner (1982) studied this question.