Start and End Times for Epitaxial Crystals
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Dialog Box: Start and End Times for Epitaxial Crystals [Growth Zone Settings Dialog]

This allows epitaxial guest crystals to start or end growth at different times relative to the host crystal. For linear growth, the times specified are relative to the main crystal; that is values of 0.0 and 1.0 mean that the epitaxial crystal in question (numbered starting with two for the first guest crystal) starts and ends at the same time as the host. Values of 0.5 and 1.5 mean that the guest crystal starts at half the Total time and ends at half again the Total time after the host crystal has ended.

For linear growth, epitaxial guest crystals reach the full size specified by the central distances of their forms in the time allotted (end minus start), and thus the number of zones will be less than that specified in the Number of zones box if the total time (end minus start) for this crystal is less than one.

For non-linear growth the times are absolute, in whatever time units are currently being used. However, the host crystal of epitaxial intergrowths always starts at time zero, so times for guest crystals may be negative. The ultimate size of each crystal and number of zones is determined by the growth-rate equations, constants for which are specified in the Exponential Growth-Rate Constants dialog for exponential growth, or the Growth Intervals dialog for discontinuous growth.