James O'Beirne, George Mason University


Modeling Phase Separation in Ternary Alloys

Abstract: We examine a type of phase separation called nucleation which occurs after an alloy is quenched. Nucleation is characterized by the formation of discrete droplets of an individual material speckled throughout the otherwise homogeneous domain; this process weakens the composition and diminishes the value of the material. We replicate this phenomenon using the Cahn-Morral model by employing numerical continuation via AUTO.

Mentors: Evelyn Sander and Thomas Wanner (George Mason University)