Nonlinear Phenomena in Complex Systems, 2000, Vol.3, No.3, pp.220--225

NONLINEAR PHENOMENA IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS
An Interdisciplinary Journal

2000, Volume 3, Number 3, pp.220--225

Vacancy Mediated Spinodal Decomposition of a Two-component Droplet: Pattern Formation at Surfaces.
Jean-François Gouyet and Mathis Plapp

We use mean-field kinetic equations to study the dynamics of spinodal decomposition of a ’droplet’ consisting of two components A and B and a small percentage of vacancies. We focus our attention on the vacancy mechanism, which is a more faithful picture of diffusion in solids than the more widely studied exchange mechanism. We study interfaces between an unstable mixture and a stable vapour phase which exhibit surface modes and lead to specific surface patterns.
Key words: mean-field kinetic equations, surface patterns.

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