An extension to the Wheeler phase-field model to allow decoupling of the capillary and kinetic anisotropies

The formulation of the phase-field problem due to Wheeler et al. Physica D 66, 243 (1993)] has been adopted and extended as a tool for solidification research by many groups around the World. However, an intrinsic problem of this model is that it couples two physically distinct anisotropies, those associated with the surface energy of the solid-liquid interface and attachment kinetics, into a single anisotropy parameter. In this paper we present a simple extension to the Wheeler model in which we show that introducing a complex form of the anisotropy function allows these two physical parameters to be decoupled.Received: 16 June 2004, Published online: 21 October 2004PACS: 81.10.-h Methods of crystal growth; physics of crystal growth - 81.30.Fb Solidification - 64.70.Dv Solid-liquid transitions