It was noted that the description of surface-diffusion controlled dynamics using the phase-field method was less trivial than it appeared. Thus, an apparently straightforward published approach was shown subtly to fail to produce the correct asymptotics. Two models were constructed that approximated to known sharp-interface equations without adding undesired constraints. Numerical simulations of the standard, and of a more sophisticated, published model (as well as of two models proposed by the present authors) were performed in order to assess the relative merits of each approach. The results suggested a superior performance of the latter models in at least some situations.

Comparison of Phase-Field Models for Surface Diffusion. C.Gugenberger, R.Spatschek, K.Kassner: Physical Review E, 2008, 78[1], 016703