Effect of anisotropic interface kinetics on morphological pattern of a particle in an undercooled melt

Abstract

We study the morphological pattern of a particle in an undercooled melt with anisotropic interfacial atoms attachment kinetics by using the asymptotic method. The resulting asymptotic solution reveals the locally inward concave growth of the particle in the initial stage of crystal growth after nucleation and the variation of orientation selection. In the initial stage of crystal growth after nucleation, due to the effect of anisotropic interfacial atoms attachment kinetics, some parts of the interface first grow locally inward. Until the locally inward growth attains a certain distance, these parts start to grow outward with other parts. The locally inward concave growth and subsequent outward growth form the time window of inward growth of the particle, within which the particle has an inner radius less than the critical radius of nucleation. With the anisotropy parameters are systematically changed, the particle changes continuously its preferred growth direction from one preferred growth direction to another preferred growth direction. This orientation selection induced by anisotropic interfacial atoms attachment kinetics displays the rich morphological patterns of the particle with various deformed petal-shaped patterns.