Energy minimization using Sobolev gradients: application to phase separation and ordering

Abstract

A common problem in physics and engineering is the calculation of the minima of energy functionals. The theory of Sobolev gradients provides an efficient method for seeking the critical points of such a functional. We apply the method to functionals describing coarse-grained Ginzburg-Landau models commonly used in pattern formation and ordering processes.

To appear J. Computational Physics