Computations of dendrites in 3-D and comparison with microgravity experiments

The phase field model is used to compute numerically the temporal evolution of the interface for solidification of a single needle crystal of succinonitrile (SCN) in a three dimensional cylindrical domain with conditions satisfying microgravity experiments. The numerical results for the tip velocity are (i) consistent with the experiments, (ii) compatible with the experimental conclusion that tip velocity does not increase for larger anisotropy (e.g., for pivalic acid), (iii) different for 3D versus 2D by a factor of approximately 1.76, (iv) strongly dependent on physical value of the kinetic coefficient in the model. Also, as indicated by theory and the laboratory experiments, the results obtained for single needle crystal show that the growth velocity approaches a constant value in large time.