Memory-Augmented Phase-Field Modeling: Onsager Formulation, Internal-Variable Lifting, and Structure-Preserving Computation

Abstract

In this work, we develop a general memory-augmented phase-field (MAPF) framework based on Onsager's variational principle, in which memory effects are incorporated through a general relaxation kernel while preserving the thermodynamic consistency of the underlying system. Rather than treating fractional models as fundamental formulations, we show that they can be interpreted as reduced descriptions associated with specific power-law memory kernels. The proposed MAPF equations provide a unified modeling framework for non-Markovian phase-field dynamics. To facilitate analysis and computation, we further introduce an equivalent internal-variable representation that transforms the original nonlocal-in-time dynamics into an extended Markovian gradient system. This formulation preserves key structural properties, including energy dissipation and mass conservation, and enables the development of efficient structure-preserving numerical schemes. In particular, we construct an energy-stable scalar auxiliary variable approach combined with a fast rank-one implementation that exploits the relaxation-spectrum-induced coupling structure, resulting in a computationally efficient algorithm with reduced storage requirements. The proposed framework establishes a systematic connection between memory-dependent phase-field modeling, internal-variable thermodynamics, and structure-preserving numerical computation. Numerical experiments demonstrate the accuracy, stability, and efficiency of the proposed methods for phase-field dynamics with long-time memory effects.