CRC Press, 2009. - 333 pp.
This book focuses on the kinetics of phase transitions, that is, the evolution of a system from an unstable or metastable state to its preferred equilibrium state. A system may become thermodynamically unstable due to a sudden change in external parameters like temperature, pressure, magnetic field, and so on. The subsequent dynamics of the far-from-equilibrium system is usually nonlinear and is characterized by complex spatiotemporal pattern formation. Typically, the system evolves toward its new equilibrium state via the emergence and growth of domains enriched in the preferred state. This process is usually referred to as phase-ordering dynamics or domain growth or coarsening. There has been intense research interest in this field over the past few decades, as the underlying physical processes are of great scientific and technological importance. Problems in this field arise from diverse disciplines such as physics, chemistry, metallurgy, materials science, and biology. As a result of this research activity, our understanding of phase-ordering dynamics has reached a high level of sophistication. At the same time, many challenging problems continue to arise in different contexts. It is now clear that the paradigms and concepts of phase-ordering dynamics are of much wider applicability than was initially thought.Kinetics of Phase Transitions
Spinodal Decomposition versus Nucleation and Growth
Monte Carlo Simulations of Domain Growth
Using the Lattice Boltzmann Algorithm to Explore Phase Ordering in Fluids
Aging in Domain Growth
Kinetics of Dewetting
Morphological Transitions in Microphase-Separated Diblock Copolymers
Dynamics of Phase Transitions in Solids
