Comparison of Coarsening Dynamics for the Cahn--Hilliard and Burgers--Cahn--Hilliard Equations

Abstract: We consider coarsening dynamics associated with a Burgers--Cahn--Hilliard system modeling a two-phase flow in one space dimension. Our emphasis is on the effect that coupling between the phase and fluid dynamics has on coarsening rates, and on the mechanisms driving this effect. We start with a detailed examination of coarsening dynamics for the uncoupled Cahn--Hilliard equation, comparing numerically generated rates with two analytic methods, and then we consider how these dynamics are affected by appropriate coupling with a viscous Burgers equation. In order to keep the analysis as self-contained as possible, we establish the global well-posedness of the system under consideration.