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Measuring Solid–Liquid Interfacial Energy Fields: Diffusion-Limited Patterns, Martin E. Glicksman

Mechanical and Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

The Leibniz–Reynolds transport theorem yields an omnimetric interface energy balance, i.e., one valid over all continuum length scales. The transport theorem, moreover, indicates that solid–liquid interfaces support capillary-mediated redistributions of energy capable of modulating an interface’s motion—a thermodynamic phenomenon not captured by Stefan balances that exclude capillarity. Capillary energy fields affect interfacial dynamics on scales from about 10 nm to several mm. These mesoscopic fields were studied using entropy density multiphase-field simulations. Energy rate distributions were exposed and measured by simulating equilibrated solid–liquid interfaces configured as stationary grain boundary grooves (GBGs). Negative rates of energy distributed over GBGs were measured …