A mean field approach of nucleation

The nucleation pathway in binary solid solution was investigated using mean field theory coupled to the string method. The string method has been used to locate the minimum free energy pathway for thermally activated nucleation, i.e. the most probable path for the phase transition. The overall behaviour of the system and the properties of the nucleus, composition and size were found to be in good agreement with other non-classical nucleation theories. It was found that the size of the critical nucleus diverges near the spinodal line.