title: Spinodal decomposition in a model colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity.
abstract: We study phase separation in a deeply quenched colloid-polymer mixture in microgravity on the International Space Station using small-angle light scattering and direct imaging. We observe a clear crossover from early-stage spinodal decomposition to late-stage, interfacial-tension-driven coarsening. Data acquired over 5 orders of magnitude in time show more than 3 orders of magnitude increase in domain size, following nearly the same evolution as that in binary liquid mixtures. The late-stage growth approaches the expected linear growth rate quite slowly.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Physics & SEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: W C K
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Christianson
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manley
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Segre
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cipelletti
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sankaran
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jankovsky
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Shiley
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kurta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lorik
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Pusey
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Weitz