Kinetics of Spinodal Phase Separation in Unstable Thin Liquid Films

TL;DR

This paper investigates the universal kinetics of spinodal phase separation in unstable thin liquid films through simulations, revealing new indicators and universal behaviors across different stages and dimensions.

Contribution

It introduces the number density of local maxima as a new marker for phase separation stages and demonstrates universal kinetic curves in two and three dimensions.

Findings

Number density of local maxima tracks phase separation stages.

Universal kinetic curve relates local maxima to rescaled time.

Lifshitz-Slyozov exponent of -1/3 applies in late stage without equilibrium phases.

Abstract

We study universality in the kinetics of spinodal phase separation in unstable thin liquid films, via simulations of the thin film equation. It is shown that in addition to morphology and free energy,the number density of local maxima in the film profile can also be used to identify the early, intermediate and late stages of spinodal phase separation. A universal curve between the number density of local maxima and rescaled time describes the kinetics of early stage in d = 2, 3. The Lifshitz-Slyozov exponent of -1/3 describes the kinetics of the late stage in d = 2 even in the absence of coexisting equilibrium phases.