| Abstract Scope |
In phase-field models (PFMs) for microstructural evolution, a common failure mode is that the interface profile becomes unstable when the interface velocity exceeds a critical threshold. A variety of strategies exist to stabilize the evolution of two-phase models with a single order parameter, but stabilization of multiphase systems remains an active area of model development. Here, I present a scheme for stabilizing Moelans-type PFMs derived from the driving force extension (DFE) method proposed by Zhang, Chadwick, Chopp, and Voorhees. By carefully choosing the interpolation functions of the model, each phase can be associated with a driving force whose structure is compatible with the two-phase DFE. When these driving forces are extended into the bulk of each phase, the resulting method is stable and exhibits much less numerical stiffness than other approaches, leading to an overall reduction in computational cost. This new scheme is demonstrated with a variety of benchmark simulations. |