Spinodal decomposition, power laws, and wetting at a triple point.
We study numerically the dynamics of phase separation in ternary mixtures at a triple point. For the full range of compositions and for different interaction parameters, the long time growth is in accord with a universal law. The early time behavior is governed by the structure of the spinodal region, including the possibility of a two step separation and decomposition originating at a surface and propagating into the bulk. The appearance of the domains is governed by the wetting properties of the mixture and the growth of a wetting layer follows again the universal law; a result that we can interpret with a simple phenomenological model.
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Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 20-364, 01000 Mexico Distrito Federal, Mexico.