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The flow of isotropic and liquid crystalline (LC) hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) aqueous solutions into an abrupt axisymmetric contraction has been quantitatively measured by pulsed-field-gradient NMR techniques. Steady-state axial velocity profiles, acquired upstream of the contraction, reveal a large contraction entry length for the LC solution. This entry flow field exists over an order of magnitude change in flow rate and is attributed to elasticity that is associated with polydomain liquid crystallinity. Pronounced, off-centerline velocity maxima (in an axisymmetric flow field) were present upstream of the contraction, in the entry flow region. Apparently, a more viscous and elastic core of fluid was present along the centerline; this fluid resisted elongational strain more than the fluid closer to the walls. Quantitative velocity profiles were extracted from displacement distributions and corrected for elongational dispersion. The isotropic solution velocity profiles matched those obtained from viscoelastic simulations using an approximate Doi-Edwards model, parameterized with independent rheological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]