Spectral analysis for periodic solutions of the Cahn-Hilliard equation on \(\mathbb R\) (Q628699)

The author is concerned with the study of the spectrum associated with the linear operator obtained when the Cahn-Hilliard equation on \(\mathbb R\) is linearized about a stationary periodic solution. The paper focuses on the evolution of solutions initialized by small, random (in some sense) perturbations of the pre-quenching homogeneous state. Solutions initialized in this way appear to evolve transiently toward certain unstable periodic solutions, with the rate of evolution described by the spectrum associated with these periodic solutions. The Evans function methods and a perturbation argument are used in the paper to locate the spectrum associated with such periodic solutions. This study has direct application to the calculation of coarsening rates for evolution in the spinodal decomposition process and such applications are briefly discussed at the end.