Kinetic instabilities in first order phase transitions

Abstract

Linear stability analysis is used to show that an homogeneous system in the early ’’aging’’ stage of a first order phase transition is unstable to heterogeneous development. A detailed analysis appropriate to precipitation out of a solution is presented although only the most general features of a first order phase transition are actually necessary. A linear dispersion relation is constructed which can also be applied to an initially heterogeneous system and which predicts heterogeneous development in general agreement with observed Liesegang ring formation.