Gauge theory of orientation in anisotropic fluids
Phys. Rev. E 113, 025401 – Published 2 February, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/4k95-qv87
Abstract
We develop a rotational gauge invariance for classical many-body ensembles with orientational degrees of freedom and, from it, derive a hierarchy of exact, closure-free Ward identities on the orientation sphere and on . A master local identity generated by orientation-dependent infinitesimal rotations yields (i) a global rotational hyperforce relation, (ii) an exact one-body torque balance, (iii) a pair-level first-order identity, and (iv) a second-order Hessian rotational sum rule that expresses the orientational curvature of the pair density in terms of torque-torque and torque-gradient correlators. The formulation provides mode-resolved constraints in Wigner- harmonics and a Parseval-type identity linking the angular variance of the one-body density to the torque variance. The theory yields operational, parameter-free estimators: in isotropic rod fluids the nematic structure factor is fixed by a projected torque kernel, giving a sharp criterion for the isotropic-nematic spinodal; in polar liquids the Kirkwood factor and hence the dielectric constant follows from the torque kernel; for polyhedra and patchy particles, torsional moduli at contact and bond-angle or twist laws emerge directly; and for chiral media we obtain a parity sum rule and a microscopic expression for the cholesteric pitch. These Ward identities provide symmetry-based constraints that connect microscopic torques to orientational structure and macroscopic response across a broad class of anisotropic colloids and molecular fluids.