Filling a gap in the literature, this crucial publication on the renowned Lifshitz-Slezov-Wagner Theory of first-order phase transitions is authored by one of the scientists who gave it its name. Prof Slezov spent decades analyzing this topic and obtained a number of results that form the cornerstone of this rapidly developing branch of science. Following an analysis of unresolved problems together with proposed solutions, the book develops a theoretical description of the overall course of first-order phase transformations, starting from the nucleation state right up to the late stages of coarsening. In so doing, the author illustrates the results by way of numerical computations and experimental applications. The outline of the general results is performed for segregation processes in solutions and the results used in the analysis of a variety of different topics, such as phase formation in multi-component solutions, boiling in one- and multi-component liquids, vacancy cluster evolution in solids with and without influence of radiation, as well as phase separation in helium at low temperatures. The result is a detailed overview of the theoretical description of the whole course of nucleation-growth processes and applications for a wide audience of scientists and students.

This booklet is devoted to the thermodynamic and kinetic description of first-order phase transitions. In general, the matter of the world exists in different phases. Normally phase ctlanges take place in ther­ modynamic equilibrium, which will be considered here. Typically,the system is rapidly quenched from a one-phase thermal equilibrium state to a nonequilibrium situation. During the so-ca lIed equilibrium phase transformation process the quenched supersaturated system evolves from the nonequilibrium state to an equilibrium one which consists of two coexisting phases. In aseries of books on phase transitions and critical phenomena (DDMB, GREEN, lEBDWITZ, 1972 - 19B3) an immense amount of material to different aspects of ttlis topic is summarized. The other type of phase transitions takes place in systems far from equilibrium. Due to 'the nonequi1ibrium boundary conditions and the flu­ xes from the environment into the system the final state of this so­ called nonequilibrium phase transition is a stable nonequilibrium si­ tuation. Such interesting processes (e. g. pattern formation, multista­ bi1ity) do not appear only in physics but also in chemistry, meteorolo­ gy, biology and many areas of engineering. Concerning questions in this context we recommend the reader to the monographs by HAKEN (197B), and EBElING, FEISTEl (1982). An overview of the problems of recent interest in this field is given in the Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Irreversible Processes and Dissipative Structures, edited by EBElING and Ul8RICHT (1986).

This book is based on research carried out by the author in close collabora tion with a number of colleagues. In particular, I wish to thank Per Bak, A. John Berlinsky, Hans C. Fogedby, Barry Frank, S. 1. Knak Jensen, David Mukamel, David Pink, and Martin Zuckermann for fruitful and extremely stimulating cooperation. It is a pleasure for me to note that active interaction with most of these colleagues is still continuing. The work has been performed at several different institutions, notably the Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Denmark, and the Depart ment of Physics, University of British Columb~a, Canada. I wish to thank the Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University for providing me with splen did research facilities over the years. From May 1980 to August 1981, I visited the Department of Physics at the University of British Columbia and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to members ofthe department for provi ding me with excellent working conditions. My special thanks are due to Professor Myer Bloom who introduced me to the field of phase transitions in biological membranes and in whose biomembrane group I found an extre mely stimulating scientific atmosphere happily married with a most agreeable social climate. During the last two years when a major part ofthis work was carried out, I was supported by AlS De Danske Spritfabrikker through their Jubilreumsle gat of 1981. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.

Providing a comprehensive introduction with the necessary background material to make it accessible for a wide scientific audience, Kinetics of Phase Transitions discusses developments in domain-growth kinetics. This book combines pedagogical chapters from leading experts in this area and focuses on incorporating various experimentally releva

This book treats the problem of phase transitions, emphasizing the generality and universality of the methods and models used. The course is basically concentrated on the problems of vacuum degeneration in macroscopic systems and a fundamental concept of quasiaverages by Bogolubov playing a special role in the theory of phase transitions and critical phenomena. An analysis of the connection between phase transition and spontaneous symmetry breaking in a macroscopic system allows a unique description of both first- and second-order phase transitions.The unique features of this book are:(i) a unique approach of describing first — as well as second-order phase transitions, based on the Bogolubov concept of quasi-averages.(ii) a detailed presentation of the material and at the same time a review of modern problems.(iii) a general character of developed ideas that could be applied to various particular systems of condensed matter physics, nuclear physics and high-energy physics.

Summaries in French, German, and Russian.