Ginzburg-Landau-type multiphase field model for competing fcc and bcc nucleation.

We address crystal nucleation and fcc-bcc phase selection in alloys using a multiphase field model that relies on Ginzburg-Landau free energies of the liquid-fcc, liquid-bcc, and fcc-bcc subsystems, and determine the properties of the nuclei as a function of composition, temperature, and structure. With a realistic choice for the free energy of the fcc-bcc interface, the model predicts well the fcc-bcc phase-selection boundary in the Fe-Ni system.

Diffusion-controlled anisotropic growth of stable and metastable crystal polymorphs in the phase-field crystal model.

We use a simple density functional approach on a diffusional time scale, to address freezing to the body-centered cubic (bcc), hexagonal close-packed (hcp), and face-centered cubic (fcc) structures. We observe faceted equilibrium shapes and diffusion-controlled layerwise crystal growth consistent with two-dimensional nucleation. The predicted growth anisotropies are discussed in relation with results from experiment and atomistic simulations. We also demonstrate that varying the lattice constant of a simple cubic substrate, one can tune the epitaxially growing body-centered tetragonal structure between bcc and fcc, and observe a Mullins-Sekerka-Asaro-Tiller-Grinfeld-type instability.

Phase field modeling of CH4 hydrate conversion into CO2 hydrate in the presence of liquid CO2.

We present phase field simulations to estimate the conversion rate of CH(4) hydrate to CO(2) hydrate in the presence of liquid CO(2) under conditions typical for underwater gas hydrate reservoirs. In the computations, all model parameters are evaluated from physical properties taken from experiment or molecular dynamics simulations. It has been found that hydrate conversion is a diffusion controlled process, as after a short transient, the displacement of the conversion front scales with t(1/2). Assuming a diffusion coefficient of D(s) = 1.1 x 10(-11) m(2) s(-1) in the hydrate phase, the predicted time dependent conversion rate is in reasonable agreement with results from magnetic resonance imaging experiments. This value of the diffusion coefficient is higher than expected for the bulk hydrate phase, probably due to liquid inclusions remaining in the porous sample used in the experiment.

Analytical density functional theory of homogeneous vapor condensation

Starting from an exact gradient transcription of the perturbative density functional theory of homogeneous vapor condensation, we propose an analytical approximation that reproduces the density profile and free energy of critical fluctuations to high accuracy. For a broad variety of substances, including nonpolar, weakly polar, and metallic liquids, the method predicts nucleation rates that are orders of magnitude closer to experiment than those from the classical approach. The present treatment incorporates detailed molecular theory into macroscopic modeling.

Regular dendritic patterns induced by nonlocal time-periodic forcing

The dynamic response of dendritic solidification to spatially homogeneous time-periodic forcing has been studied. Phase-field calculations performed in two dimensions (2D) and experiments on thin (quasi-2D) liquid-crystal layers show that the frequency of dendritic side branching can be tuned by oscillatory pressure or heating. The sensitivity of this phenomenon to the relevant parameters, the frequency and amplitude of the modulation, the initial undercooling and the anisotropies of the interfacial free energy, and molecule attachment kinetics, has been explored. It has been demonstrated that in addition the side-branching mode synchronous with external forcing as emerging from the linear Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin analysis, modes that oscillate with higher harmonic frequencies are also present with perceptible amplitudes.