Evolution of the structure factor in a hyperbolic model of spinodal decomposition

Abstract

We consider the modification of the Cahn-Hilliard equation when a time delay process through a memory function is taken into account. The memory effects are seen to affect the dynamics of phase transition at short times. The process of fast spinodal decomposition associated with a conserved order parameter - concentration is studied numerically. Details of a semi-implicit numerical scheme used to simulate the kinetics of spinodal decomposition and evolution of the structure factor are discussed. Analysis of the modeled structure factor predicted by a hyperbolic model of spinodal decomposition is presented in comparison with the parabolic model of Cahn and Hilliard. It is shown that during initial periods of decomposition the structure factor exhibits wave behavior. Analytical treatments explain such behavior by existence of damped oscillations in structure factor at earliest stages of phase separation and at large values of the wave-number. These oscillations disappear gradually in time and the hyperbolic evolution approaches the pure dissipative parabolic evolution of spinodal decomposition.