Phase diagram for a system of hard spherocylinders

We apply a density-functional formalism to a system of hard spherocylinders and obtain a phase diagram including the isotropic, nematic, and smectic-A phases. The nematic--smectic-A transition can be of either first or second order, and the tricritical point is located at a length-to-diameter ratio L/D=5.9. The coexistence of all three phases (i.e., the triple point) occurs at L/D=3.2 and for L/D3.2 we find a first-order isotropic--smectic-A transition.