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A Stability Function For Explicit Evaluation of The Mullins-Sekerka Interface Stability Criterion
A Stability Function For Explicit Evaluation of The Mullins-Sekerka Interface Stability Criterion
OF
APPLIED
PHYSICS
VOLUME
36,
NUMBER
JANUARY
1965
SEKERKA.
and unstable when the inequality is reversed. The notation here is the same as used bv 1\1 ullins and Sekerka;
it is summarized in Appendix i. We shall refer to (1)
as the M-S stability criterion; h is given by the expression
h= Imaxf(w) I,
Then (1) becomes, for stability (note reversal of the inequality caused by multiplication by -1)
(2)
where
(6)
(3)
Examination of Eqs. (2) and (3) shows that the determination of h by straightforward application of the
calculus involves the solution of a cubic equation in w.
But due to the cumbersome form of the analytic solution of a cubic equation, it is difficult to assess the M-S
criterion. It is the purpose of this paper to develop explicit expressions for h and to define and tabulate a related quantity S as a function of certain dimensionless
parameters. In this way, the predictions of the M-S
theory can be readily evaluated and compared with
other theories and with experiment; the use of dimensionless parameters alleviates the need to specify constants characteristic of a given material (often poorly
known) in order to give a complete theoretical analysis.
few)
2k
mC;,
(1 +tJy)!-l +2k'
---= y+-------
s= l-[min(y)].
(9)
8(y)/
---
8y
=0
y~ljm
{}k
(1) f(w)~O,
(1+tJYm)l=~---_----.
[(1+tJYm)I-1 + 2kJ2
(7)
rv
TilT
rv
TM V
- - - - - - - - - - = k--- - - ,
(1-k) D (-mk"
D mGcD
r~+ (2k-l)r-
(10)
(2k/.ll) = O.
(11)
-----
264
(12)
I)J" T
one can plot the left and right sides of Eq. (12) as we
have done for three representative cases in Fig. 1. Xote
that the straight line (2k.'.1 i)+(1-2k)r always has a
positive intercept on the ordinate for positive A and k
while its slope may be positive or negative and depends
only on k. Hence, corresponding to k ~ 0, there exists
one and only one root r>O of Eq. (11); it is this positive
root which corresponds to positive w. Henceforth in this
paper, we shall refer to r as the real positive root of (11).
Obviously, from (11), r is a function of two dimensionless variables, A and 1<, and since
y",=(r L
(13)
ll(A/4k),
FIG.
1. Plot of
conjugate imaginary
roots, (b) case II-l
positive root, 2 equal
negative roots, and
Ic) case III-l posi
tive root, 2 unequal
negative roots.
--
3Al
~+(1-2k)r
A'12
Roots
.4(1-2k)
---~r2.
(14)
4k
,~(A,k)
(2k)1/3
(15)
r~--
A-+ll
265
A 1 If,
(16)
or
(17)
4 ... 0
S(A,k)
~
k.... O
(1+A-2.1t)(I-k).
(20)
(21)
Note that (17) agrees with the leading term of (21) for
~~k(~-l)+k~(~-~-!),
o AI
A! 2.1
(19)
k ...
(6)
K
c",(k-l) L
DkG c
--(g'-g)
(22)
266
R. F. SEKERKA
of material constants which are specified by a choice of
base material and solute and contains all other parameters except the above three variables of operation.
Within the approximation of dilute solutions, the material constant.s are independent of the kind and amount
of solute. "'ith the preceding classification of parameters, let us consider all of the material constants to be
fixed and suppress their explicit appearance in the
stability uiterion. Accordingly, we define a test function ,(G/V,c,,) by the equation
0.9
0.8
0.7
/Sfable
Unstoble
0.3
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
k [L
GJ--->S(A,k).
D
--+--
2KL
~---
Ks+Kdl-k) 2KL
(25)
where we continue to use the symbol S without ambiguity because the left side of (25) is a function of
only one variable, the ratio (Vic",). Then for stability,
we need the test function to be greater than the stabilit:-" function, i.e.,
,(G/ V,c",) > s( V/ c",,).
(26)
V (-mk"
'l(G/V,c",)
> 1,
(27)
A~()
0.9
O.B
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
Unstoble
0.3
0.2
dS
J1
> -2KL
- - [LV
--+G --G
0.1
910
which is the modified constitutional supercooling criterion of lVI-So It is very important to note that Eq. (26)
contains three independent variables of operation (constructed from the three fundamental variables, G, V, CoO,
while Eq. (27), as well as the constitutional supercooling
criterion of Tiller et al./ 3 depends on only two independent variables of operation. Indeed, to get the constitutional supercooling criterion for stability, one sets
KL=K,~ and L=O in (24) and uses (27). Thus, the inclusion of capillarity (S= 1 without capillarity) breaks
the ratio G/V, so to speak, and makes G, V, c'" individually important. It is for this reason that one can
have stability despite the presence of constitutional
supercooling, as pointed out by lVI-So
Let us cast Eq. (23) in still another form where it can
be easily compared with the constitutional supercooling
criterion. Using the notation 4 "gradient of constitutional supercooling," dS/dx=mGc-G, along with Eq.
(22) and reversing the sense of the inequality in (23)
we find that the :M-S theory predicts instability when
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
-4
-3
Log,oA
FIG. 3. Plot of the ~tability function S versus logA for several
values of k. A smooth interface is stable if the test function 'I' falls
above the appropriate curve.
lix
K 8 +K L 2KL
(28)
1 NT E R FA C EST A B I LIT Y
or
(29)
dS/dx>O.
We have explicitly evaluated the M-S stability criterion in terms of a stability function S and have compared the M-S theory with the theory of constitutional
supercooling. We have seen that the theories are somewhat similar for the case S~l but differ appreciably for
S substantially different from 1. We shall not attempt at
this time to make a detailed comparison with experiment. However, let us note that most experiments to
date have apparently been conducted in the range where
A1, and consequently [see Eq. (17)J S-1. The usual
procedure is then to plot G/V vs Coo and, according to
(24) and (27), get a straight line whose slope is related
to the diffusion coefficient D. Hence, since diffusion coefficients of liquid metals are often poorly known, it may
be useful to begin experiments in the region of low velocities and high solute content so that A --j- 0 and from
the slope of a straight line plot of G/V and c"" determine
D. Then one can proceed to higher velocities and lower
concentrations and use the determined value of D to
evaluate A.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
eRr T E RIO N
267
k 2 rv TM
rv 1'11'1 V
A=--------=k--(1-k) D (-m)c",
D mGeD
k2
(2k-l)3
27
F=-+---.
(A2)
a= [ kl + (F)!]t
."4 '
(A3a)
APPENDIX I
(A3b)
(em/sec)
temperature gradient III the liquid
G=average 5
(deg/cml
Gs =average 5 temperature
(deg/cm)
gradient
In
the
solid