Coarsening dynamics at unstable crystal surfaces
Abstract
In this paper we focus on crystal surfaces led out of equilibrium by a growth or erosion process. As a consequence of that the surface may undergo morphological instabilities and develop a distinct structure: ondulations, mounds or pyramids, bunches of steps, ripples. The typical size of the emergent pattern may be fixed or it may increase in time through a coarsening process which in turn may last forever or it may be interrupted at some relevant length scale. We study dynamics in three different cases, stressing the main physical ingredients and the main features of coarsening: a kinetic instability, an energetic instability, and an athermal instability.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1502.06717,
title = {Coarsening dynamics at unstable crystal surfaces},
author = {Paolo Politi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1502.06717},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
12 pages. Several minor changes. To appear in a Comptes Rendus Physique special issue on "Coarsening Dynamics", see https://sites.google.com/site/ppoliti/crp-special-issue