  This paper presents a theoretical model for studying the dynamics of ordering
in alloys which exhibit modulated phases. The model is different from the
standard time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau description of the evolution of a
non-conserved order parameter and resembles the Swift-Hohenberg model. The
early-stage growth kinetics is analyzed and compared to the Cahn-Hilliard
theory of continuous ordering. The effects of non-linearities on the growth
kinetics are discussed qualitatively and it is shown that the presence of an
underlying elastic lattice introduces qualitatively new effects. A lattice
Hamiltonian capable of describing these effects and suitable for carrying out
simulations of the growth kinetics is also constructed.
