2000/10/31 by Ludovic Berthier, Jean-Louis Barrat, Jean‐Louis Barrat +1 · 1 citation
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advection #Chaotic #Chaotic mixing #Constant (computer programming) #Flow (mathematics) #Lyapunov exponent #Mechanics #Mixing (physics) #Nonlinear system #Phase (matter) #Physics #Quantum chaos and dynamical systems #Solidification and crystal growth phenomena #Spinodal #Spinodal decomposition #Statistical physics #Theoretical and Computational Physics #Thermodynamics #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.86.2014
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2014 (2001) · Minor changes - Version accepted for publication - Physical Review Letters
arxiv created 2001/02/08 · openalex publication_date 2001/03/05 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The phase separation between two immiscible liquids advected by a bidimensional velocity field is investigated numerically by solving the corresponding Cahn-Hilliard equation. We study how the spinodal decomposition process depends on the presence-or absence-of Lagrangian chaos. A fully chaotic flow, in particular, limits the growth of domains, and for unequal volume fractions of the liquids, a characteristic exponential distribution of droplet sizes is obtained. The limiting domain size results from a balance between chaotic mixing and spinodal decomposition, measured in terms of Lyapunov exponent and diffusivity constant, respectively.