Brownian Dynamics Simulations of Domain Growth in Lennard-Jones Fluids

Abstract

Abstract The evolution of the structural, thermodynamic and rheological properties of a three dimensional Lennard-Jones fluid is followed as it is quenched from a supercritical state into the two phase gas-liquid coexistence region of the phase diagram. Domain growth is revealed in the appearance of a peak in the structure factor at kmax ∼ [sgrave] LJ −1 which moves to lower k with time, and whose peak height S(k max) increases with time. k max −1 and S(k max) show a power law dependence with time with exponents in the range 0.2–0.3 and 0.7–1.0, respectively, depending somewhat on the destination state point and broadly consistent with previous theory and simulation. The kinetics of domain growth depends on the value of temperature and density quenched to in the two-phase region. For quenches close to the liquid-vapour coexistence line, an initial period marked by a lack of growth in the low k peak (‘latency’) is followed by power law behaviour, which is indicative of growth by nucleation. Quenches to wel...