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Main Authors: Zhou, Zeyu, Jiang, Wei, Qian, Tiezheng, Zhang, Zhen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18048
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_version_ 1866913958800130048
author Zhou, Zeyu
Jiang, Wei
Qian, Tiezheng
Zhang, Zhen
author_facet Zhou, Zeyu
Jiang, Wei
Qian, Tiezheng
Zhang, Zhen
contents As popular approximations to sharp-interface models, the Cahn-Hilliard type phase-field models are usually used to simulate interface dynamics with volume conservation. However, the convergence rate of the volume enclosed by the interface to its sharp-interface limit is usually at first order of the interface thickness in the classical Cahn-Hilliard model with constant or degenerate mobilities. In this work, we propose a variational framework for developing new Cahn-Hilliard dynamics with enhanced volume conservation by introducing a more general conserved quantity. In particular, based on Onsager's variational principle (OVP) and a modified conservation law, we develop an anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard equation with improved conservation (ACH-IC) for approximating anisotropic surface diffusion. The ACH-IC model employs a new conserved quantity that approximates a step function more effectively, and yields second-order volume conservation while preserving energy dissipation for the classical anisotropic surface energy. The second-order volume conservation as well as the convergence to the sharp-interface surface diffusion dynamics is derived through comprehensive asymptotic analysis. Numerical evidence not only reveals the underlying physics of the proposed model in comparison with the classical one, but also demonstrates its exceptional performance in simulating anisotropic surface diffusion dynamics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_18048
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A new Phase-Field Model for Anisotropic Surface Diffusion: Anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Improved Conservation (ACH-IC)
Zhou, Zeyu
Jiang, Wei
Qian, Tiezheng
Zhang, Zhen
Mathematical Physics
76D10, 76M45, 76T10
As popular approximations to sharp-interface models, the Cahn-Hilliard type phase-field models are usually used to simulate interface dynamics with volume conservation. However, the convergence rate of the volume enclosed by the interface to its sharp-interface limit is usually at first order of the interface thickness in the classical Cahn-Hilliard model with constant or degenerate mobilities. In this work, we propose a variational framework for developing new Cahn-Hilliard dynamics with enhanced volume conservation by introducing a more general conserved quantity. In particular, based on Onsager's variational principle (OVP) and a modified conservation law, we develop an anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard equation with improved conservation (ACH-IC) for approximating anisotropic surface diffusion. The ACH-IC model employs a new conserved quantity that approximates a step function more effectively, and yields second-order volume conservation while preserving energy dissipation for the classical anisotropic surface energy. The second-order volume conservation as well as the convergence to the sharp-interface surface diffusion dynamics is derived through comprehensive asymptotic analysis. Numerical evidence not only reveals the underlying physics of the proposed model in comparison with the classical one, but also demonstrates its exceptional performance in simulating anisotropic surface diffusion dynamics.
title A new Phase-Field Model for Anisotropic Surface Diffusion: Anisotropic Cahn-Hilliard Equation with Improved Conservation (ACH-IC)
topic Mathematical Physics
76D10, 76M45, 76T10
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.18048