The anisotropy of the surface tension at the magnetic-field-induced phase transformations

The surface properties of the magnetic colloid phases arising at the magnetic-field-induced phase separation in the Hele-Shaw cell are considered. By the numerical resolution of the equation for the concentration distribution in the transition layer between the phases, the anisotropy of the surface tension is calculated. The anisotropic shapes of the droplets of the concentrated phase are found by the Wulff construction and are compared with that obtained by the numerical simulation of the kinetics of the magnetic colloid phase separation in the Hele-Shaw cell. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.