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Updated: May 18, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
Nucleation and growth of droplets in vapor-liquid transitions
1Theoretical Sciences Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P. O., Bangalore 560064, India.
Abstract:
Results for the kinetics of vapor-liquid transitions, following temperature quenches with different densities, are presented from molecular dynamics simulations of a Lennard-Jones system. For a critical density, bicontinuous liquid and vapor domains are observed which grow with time, obeying the predictions for the hydrodynamic mechanism. On the other hand, for quenches with density significantly below the critical one, phase separation progresses via nucleation and growth of liquid droplets. In the latter case, the Brownian diffusion and collision mechanism for the droplet growth is confirmed. We also discuss the possibility of interdroplet interaction leading to a different amplitude in the growth law. Arguments for faster growth, observed at early times, are also provided.
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