Elastic effects on the kinetics of a phase transition

The kinetics of the nucleation and growth of a new phase in the course of a first-order phase transition in a solid is described. The growing center o f a new phase is very oblate, because this shape lowers the elastic energy of the deformations which arise due to the difference in the densities of t he two phases. An analogy with the crack problem is emphasized. The growth of the nucleus is governed by the combination of the elastic effects and th e diffusion of the latent heat. The elastic cracklike: effects lead to the selection of the growth mode which is substantially different from the ordi nary dendrite. [S0031-9007(99)08492-6].