Quasistatic spherical Stefan problem with capillarity ($\dot{a}=(\kappa /S)(a-a_c)/a^2$)

For a one-phase spherical Stefan problem with melting-temperature boundary value $T_s-\Gamma /a$ and supercooling $\Delta T=T_s-T_{\infty }>0$, use the latent-to-sensible heat ratio $S=\mathcal{L}/(c_p\Delta T)$. Large $S$ separates heat diffusion from slow interface motion. The exterior harmonic temperature is $T=T_{\infty }+(\Delta T-\Gamma /a)a/r$. The Stefan condition gives the displayed radius equation with $a_c=\Gamma /\Delta T$. This is the large inverse-Stefan number convention; the common sensible-to-latent Stefan number is $1/S$.

The Gibbs--Thomson relation depresses a spherical interface's equilibrium temperature by $\Gamma /a$. For $a>a_c$, its interface is warmer than the supercooled ambient and heat loss drives growth. For $a<a_c$, its interface is colder than the ambient and heat gain drives melting. The equilibrium radius is unstable because the derivative of the quasistatic radius velocity at $a_c$ is positive.

In the quasistatic spherical model, ${\eta }_0=a_0/a_c\in (0,1)$. Separating the radius equation gives $t_e=(S/\kappa ){\int }_0^{a_0}{a}^2/(a_c-a)da$, which is finite and evaluates to the displayed expression. Near disappearance, $a^3\sim 3\kappa a_c(t_e-t)/S$. The time diverges logarithmically as the initial radius approaches the critical radius from below.