Phase field models and sharp interface limits: Some differences in subtle situations (Q1176403)

The article written already in 1987/1988 belongs to a series of papers of the author and some co-workers dealing with the development and investigation of phase field models in order to describe phase transitions (liquid-solid) [e.g.: the author, Res. Notes Math. 120, 107- 121 (1985; Zbl 0593.35099); Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 92, 205-245 (1986; Zbl 0608.35080); with \textit{P. C. Fife}, Pitman Res. Notes Math. Ser. 149, 50-54 (1987; Zbl 0657.35060); with \textit{E. A. Socolovsky}, J. Comput. Phys. 95, No. 1, 85-100 (1991; Zbl 0732.65116)]. These phase field models are characterized by a coupled system consisting of the heat conservation equation and an equation for an order parameter. In the article this approach is compared with the macroscopic modelling of phase transitions by means of Stefan or modified Stefan problems (Gibbs-Thomson, kinetic undercooling). On one hand the author gives a survey how one has to choose the scaling limit of the microscopic parameters contained in the phase field equations in order to obtain the various Stefan type problems as a formal limit. The reader who is interested in details is referred to other papers of the author cited as references. On the other hand some critical situations (unstable equilibrium) are indicated in which the phase field model and the Stefan type problems are different.