p129

History never repeats in the phase transition dynamics

The patterns obtained by spinodal decomposition experiments are always different from run to run, but the obtained form factors are always the same. Actual patterns are strongly influenced by the initial small fluctuations (= initial contingencies). Consequently, the time course of phase segregation never repeats. Thus, the reason for the history not to repeat is just the same as molecular configurations in a gas never repeat. Only difference is that the contingency is observable for spinodal decomposition at our scale due to the unstable nature of the system.

 Then, what determines the `universal feature’ captured by the form factor? In this example, the essence of the phenomenon is that the pattern dynamics is governed by the interface dynamics (mean-curvature driven dynamics), which is not contingent.