- Cahn–Hilliard equation
The Cahn–Hilliard equation is an
equation ofmathematical physics which describes the process of phase separation, by which the two components of a binary fluid spontaneously separate and form domains pure in each component. If c is the concentration of the fluid, with c=pm1 indicating domains, then the equation is written as:frac{partial c}{partial t} = D abla^2left(c^3-c-gamma abla^2 c ight),
where D is a
diffusion coefficient with units of ext{Length}^2/ ext{Time} and sqrt{gamma} gives the length of the transition regions between the domains. Here partial/{partial t} is the partial time derivative and abla^2 is theLaplacian in n dimensions. Additionally, the quantity mu = c^3-c-gamma abla^2 c is identified as a chemical potential.Features and applications
Of interest to mathematicians is the existence of a unique solution to the Cahn–Hilliard equation, given smooth initial data. The proof relies essentially on the existence of a
Lyapunov function al. Specifically, if we identify:F [c] =int d^n x left [frac{1}{4}left(c^2-1 ight)^2+frac{gamma}{2}left| abla c ight|^2 ight] ,
as a free energy functional, then
:frac{d F}{dt} = -int d^n x left| ablamu ight|^2,
so that the free energy decays to zero. This also indicates segregation into domains is the
asymptotic outcome of the evolution of this equation.In real experiments, the segregation of an initially mixed binary fluid into domains is observed. The segregation is characterized by the following facts.
* There is a transition layer between the segregated domains, with a profile given by the function c(x) = anhleft(x/sqrt{2gamma} ight), and hence a typical width sqrt{gamma}. This is due to the fact that this function is an equilibrium solution of the Cahn–Hilliard equation.
* Of interest also is the fact that the segregated domains grow in time as a power law. That is, if L(t) is a typical domain size, then L(t)propto t^{1/3}. This is the Lifshitz–Slyozov law, and has been proved rigorously for the Cahn–Hilliard equation and observed in numerical simulations and real experiments on binary fluids.
* The Cahn–Hilliard equation has the form of a conservation law, frac{partial c}{partial t} = abla cdot old{j}(x), with old{j}(x)=D abla mu. Thus the phase separation process conserves the total concentration C=int d^n x cleft(x,t ight), so that frac{dC}{dt}=0.
* When one phase is significantly more abundant, the Cahn–Hilliard equation can show the phenomena known as
Ostwald ripening , where the minority phase forms spherical droplets, and the smaller droplets are absorbed through diffusion into the larger ones.The Cahn–Hilliard equations finds applications in diverse fields: in interfacial fluid flow, polymer science and in industrial applications. Of interest to researchers at present is the coupling of the phase separation of the Cahn–Hilliard equation to the
Navier–Stokes equations of fluid flow.References
* J. W. Cahn and J. E. Hilliard, “Free energy of a nonuniform system. I. Interfacial energy,” J. Chem. Phys 28, 258 (1958).
* A. J. Bray, “Theory of phase-ordering kinetics,” Adv. Phys. 43, 357 (1994).
* J. Zhu, L. Q. Chen, J. Shen, V. Tikare, and A. Onuki, “Coarsening kinetics from a variable mobility Cahn–Hilliard equation: Application of a semi-implicit Fourier spectral method,” Phys. Rev. E 60, 3564 (1999).
* C. M. Elliott and S. Zheng, “On the Cahn–Hilliard equation,” Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 96, 339 (1986).
* T. Hashimoto, K. Matsuzaka, and E. Moses, “String phase in phase-separating fluids under shear flow,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 74, 126 (1995).
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