Scaling and hydrodynamic effects in lamellar ordering

TL;DR

This paper investigates the domain growth kinetics in fluid mixtures transitioning to lamellar phases, highlighting hydrodynamic effects, defect influence, and shear flow impact on ordering dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how hydrodynamics, defects, and shear flow affect lamellar ordering and domain growth in fluid mixtures.

Findings

Hydrodynamic modes lead to a change from power-law to logarithmic growth.

Extended defects influence the growth behavior of the typical length scale.

Applied shear flow promotes power-law growth and reduces frustration.

Abstract

We study the kinetics of domain growth of fluid mixtures quenched from a disordered to a lamellar phase. At low viscosities, in two dimensions, when hydrodynamic modes become important, dynamical scaling is verified in the form $C(\vec k, t) \sim L^{\alpha} f[(k-k_M)L]$ where $C$ is the structure factor with maximum at $k_M$ and $L$ is a typical length changing from power law to logarithmic growth at late times. The presence of extended defects can explain the behavior of $L$. Three-dimensional simulations confirm that diffuse grain boundaries inhibit complete ordering of lamellae. Applied shear flow alleviates frustration and gives power-law growth at all times.