Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Determination of Aggregate Surface Morphology at the Interfacial Transition Zone ITZ
Published on: December 16, 2019
Phase transitions in systems with aggregation and shattering
P L Krapivsky1, W Otieno2, N V Brilliantov2
1Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
Abstract:
We consider a system of clusters made of elementary building blocks, monomers, and evolving via collisions between diffusing monomers and immobile composite clusters. In our model, the cluster-monomer collision can lead to the attachment of the monomer to the cluster (addition process) or to the total breakup of the cluster (shattering process). A phase transition, separating qualitatively different behaviors, occurs when the probability of shattering events exceeds a certain threshold. The novel feature of the phase transition is the dramatic dependence on the initial conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
Phase Diagrams
Properties of Transition Metals

