The influence of an electric field on the kinetics of nucleation

This paper examines in detail a crystallization model in an electric field that has been proposed previously for systems in oriented fields. The model takes into account the angular configuration of the crystal nuclei and the effect of rotational diffusion of the nuclei on nucleation kinetics. The orientation state of the amorphous phase in an electrostatic field, where the particles manifest uniaxial symmetry under polarization and are subject to a constant dipole moment are analyzed. An expression is given for the free formation energy of the polar and non-polar aggregates of the crystallized stated depending on the angle within the field assuming uniaxial symmetry of the polarization tensor of the crystal grid. A solution of a continuity equation expanded in terms of the magnitude and orientation of the aggregates is given; this solution takes into account the growth and rotational diffusion of the aggregates where the motive force behind such processes consists of the free growth energy and the free energy of the aggregates in the field. The solution takes a form that accounts for the kinetic parameter representing the ratio of the continuous rotation diffusion of the nucleus and the reaction constant of the aggregate with a single element. An expression is derived for the angular distribution of the nucleation rate in the form of an expansion in an established parameter; an expression for independent diffusion is derived together with expressions corresponding to rotational diffusion and nucleation in a system disrupted by diffusion. Certain values of the angular distributions of the nucleation rate and diffusion corrections as a function of field intensity and temperature for polar and non-polar phases of polyfluorovinylide are discussed.