Spinodal decomposition with formation of a glassy phase

The consequences of a glass transition occurring in one of the two phases formed by spinodal decomposition of a liquid mixture are investigated by numerical solution of the deterministic Cahn-Hilliard equation for two dimensions with a concentration-dependent mobility. The glass transition is modelled by a rapid decrease of the mobility coefficient with increasing concentration of the glass-forming component. For concentrations of the mixture for which the glassy phase percolates and the liquid phase is confined in droplets, a new coarsening mechanism is found which consists in the migration and eventual coalescence of liquid droplets in the glassy phase. For a particular model of the mobility coefficient the growth law for the characteristic length R(t) shows a pronounced plateau at intermediate times.