Domain Growth of Degenerate Phases

Abstract

The domain-coarsening kinetics of ordering systems with $p$-fold—degenerate equilibrium states, quenched from high temperatures, is analyzed. For long times ($t$) and low temperatures, the domain sizes equilibrate as a power law in $t$ for $p<d+1\mathrm{}$ and as a logarithmic function of $t$ for $p>~d+1\mathrm{}$, where $d$ is the spatial dimensionality of the system. The relation of these slowly equilibrating, kinetically disordered systems to glasses and suggestions for simulations and experiments are discussed.