We study spinodal decomposition and coarsening when initiated by localized disturbances in the Cahn-Hilliard equation. Spatio-temporal dynamics are governed by multi-stage invasion fronts. The first front invades a spinodal unstable equilibrium and creates a spatially periodic unstable pattern. Secondary fronts invade this unstable pattern and create a coarser pattern in the wake. We give linea...

The initial stages of spinodal decomposition were studied by subjecting a critical blend of model polyolefins to a pressure quench and monitoring the evolution by time-resolved small angle neutron scattering. Contrary to the predictions of the widely accepted Cahn-Hilliard-Cook theory, we demonstrate that coarsening of the phase-separated structure begins immediately after the quench and occurs...

We study the process of spinodal decomposition in a scalar quantum field theory that is quenched from an equilibrium disordered initial state at Ti > Tf to a final state at Tf ≈ 0. The process of formation and growth of correlated domains is studied in a Hartree approximation. We find an approximate scaling law for the size of the domains ξD(t) ≈ √ tξ0 at long times for weakly coupled theories,...

After a rapid increase in temperature across the deconfinement temperature Td to temperatures T ≫ Td, pure gauge theories exhibit unstable long wavelength fluctuations in the approach to equilibrium. This phenomenon is analogous to spinodal decomposition observed in condensed matter physics, and also seen in models of disordered chiral condensate formation. At high temperature, the unstable mod...