Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: A scale-separated monopole method is developed for full-field prediction of precipitation under conditions where particle-scale diffusion fields coexist with solute variations over much larger distances. Precipitates are represented by monopole Green's-function solutions, providing a particle-based description of interacting particle growth and dissolution. The direct quasistatic formulation is validated against transient finite-difference calculations and a conventional Kampmann--Wagner numerical model, but becomes inappropriate when spatially heterogeneous particle populations generate slowly relaxing long-wavelength concentration fields. An Ewald decomposition is therefore used to separate the diffusion field by spatial scale. Screened particle-scale fields are treated quasistatically, while the complementary long-range field evolves by transient diffusion. The resulting hybrid formulation retains explicit particle-level precipitation kinetics while allowing mesoscale solute redistribution to evolve on its physical timescale. Application to Al--Sc demonstrates that a transient depletion field generated by localized precipitation can suppress subsequent nucleation and produce persistent spatial variations in precipitate number density and volume fraction.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Author: Sinclair, C. W.
Institution: University of British Columbia
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7220662361