Coupled dynamics of solid-liquid-vapour systems with mass transfer*

The dynamics of droplets on surfaces has received vast attention theoretically due to the interest in the moving contact line problem, and due to applications in inkjet printing, creation of super-hydrophobic surfaces, efficient irrigation methods and more. Many studies explore a conserved regime where a droplet of non-volatile liquid spreads on a fixed solid. Others study a similarly fixed solid with volatile liquid. Here, we explore a material existing in the three phases of solid, liquid and vapour, and consider dynamics where vapour can condense to liquid which in turn can freeze to solid throughout a droplet spreading process. By developing a thin-film model capturing phase-change, surface tension, density contrast, and interfacial potentials, a rich phase diagram will be explored---and complex dynamics such as layered solid growth driven by forces at the contact lines described.