Collective effects during crystal growth in the presence of mobile nonreactive impurities: experiments and simulations

The growth of a solid phase in a liquid medium containing randomly dispersed mesoscopic impurities is discussed. Particles represent hindrances for the growth front. They can remain static or can be pushed by the advancing interface. The physics of the collective particle motion is outlined. Experiments with A12O3-SiO2 impurities in KC1 crystal serve as illustrative examples. The collective effects due to the particle concentration are investigated through a kinetic growth model.