Premelting Dynamics

http://www.cadfamily.com/a/CAE_FEA_CFD/Fluid-Mechanics/Premelting-Dynamics_4197.html

Key Words
thin films, frost heave, interfaces, phase changes, solidification
Abstract
When the free surfaces of most solids approach their bulk melting temperatures from
below, the molecular structure of the material gives way to a disordered structure
with some attributes of both the solid and liquid phases. When the temperature
is sufficiently close to that of bulk transition, the surface melts and literally flows
as a viscous fluid. This phenomenon, called interfacial premelting, lies at the heart
of the microscopic theory of melting of solid matter, and captures the interest of
condensed matter physicists and physical chemists alike. The process is ubiquitous and
responsible for a wide range of consequences in materials with biological, geophysical,
and technological significance. Because such systems are often exposed to spatial or
temporal variations in thermodynamic forcing, there are a host of fluid mechanical
phenomena that result from this underlying melting behavior. The fluid dynamics of
unfrozen surfaces holds clues for understanding the bulk behavior of polycrystalline
materials, from Earth’s mantle to the stratosphere and beyond. In this review we focus
on the fluid dynamical consequences of the premelting of solids.