Coarsening kinetics from a variable-mobility Cahn-Hilliard equation: application of a semi-implicit Fourier spectral method

Phys Rev E Stat Phys Plasmas Fluids Relat Interdiscip Topics. 1999 Oct;60(4 Pt A):3564-72. doi: 10.1103/physreve.60.3564.

Abstract

An efficient semi-implicit Fourier spectral method is implemented to solve the Cahn-Hilliard equation with a variable mobility. The method is orders of magnitude more efficient than the conventional forward Euler finite-difference method, thus allowing us to simulate large systems for longer times. We studied the coarsening kinetics of interconnected two-phase mixtures using a Cahn-Hilliard equation with its mobility depending on local compositions. In particular, we compared the kinetics of bulk-diffusion-dominated and interface-diffusion-dominated coarsening in two-phase systems. Results are compared with existing theories and previous computer simulations.