A numerical study of the effect of natural convection on the growth of succinonitrile crystals has been performed. All simulations are two-dimensional phase-field computations using an adaptive finite element method. The undercooling has been varied between 1.92 to 0.12 K, which is within the range used in experiments. The thermal natural convection has minor effects at 1.92 K, but the influence increases with decreasing undercooling, due to the fact that the size of the crystal increases. The simulation results show a decrease of the growth Peclet number with decreasing undercooling that is very similar to that observed in terrestrial experiments. Also, the simulation results for the orientation effect of the gravity vector agree qualitatively with experiments.

• Received 3 June 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.828