The effect of carrier gas pressure on vapor phase nucleation experiments using a thermal diffusion cloud chamber

Authors

D. Kane, Virginia Commonwealth University
S. P. Fisenko, Virginia Commonwealth University
M. Rusyniak, Virginia Commonwealth University
M. S. El-Shall, Virginia Commonwealth University

Document Type

Article

Original Publication Date

1999

Journal/Book/Conference Title

The Journal of Chemical Physics

Volume

111

Issue

18

DOI of Original Publication

10.1063/1.480190

Comments

Originally published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.480190

Date of Submission

October 2015

Abstract

Recent measurements of critical supersaturations for the vapor phase homogeneous nucleation of several substances using a diffusion cloud chamber technique exhibit a dependence on the pressure of the carrier gas used in the experiments. A model of droplet growth and motion in a diffusion cloud chamber, combined with the density and temperature profiles of the chamber is presented to explain the pressure dependent results. The model demonstrates that at higher carrier gas pressures the growth of the droplets is retarded and the optical scattering signal from the particles is reduced. It is concluded that the observed effect may not result from a pressure dependence of the nucleation rate, but from a pressure dependence of the droplet growth and motion.

Rights

Kane, D., Fisenko, S. P., Rusyniak, M., et al. The effect of carrier gas pressure on vapor phase nucleation experiments using a thermal diffusion cloud chamber. The Journal of Chemical Physics 111, 8496 (1999). Copyright © 1999 AIP Publishing LLC.

Is Part Of

VCU Chemistry Publications