Velocity-selection problem for combined motion of melting and solidification fronts

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Physics
• Thermodynamics

Background:

• Partial melting of solid alloys involves complex interface dynamics.
• Liquid film migration (LFM) offers a faster kinetic pathway than single-front melting.
• Coherency strain energy is a key driving force for LFM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze a free boundary problem with two interacting solid-liquid interfaces.
• To develop a velocity-selection theory for liquid film migration.
• To incorporate anisotropic surface tension effects into the LFM model.

Main Methods:

• Modeling a free boundary problem with two moving interfaces.
• Analyzing the diffusion field within the liquid layer.
• Developing a theoretical framework for velocity selection.
• Including anisotropic surface tension effects.

Main Results:

• Identified an exact family of steady-state solutions with parabolic fronts (neglecting capillary effects).
• Developed a velocity-selection theory applicable to LFM with two interfaces.
• Demonstrated the influence of anisotropic surface tension on interface dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The LFM mechanism, driven by coherency strain energy, is kinetically favored.
• The developed theory provides insights into the behavior of multiple solid-liquid interfaces.
• Anisotropic surface tension plays a significant role in the velocity selection of LFM.