DETERMINATION OF NUCLEATION RATES NEAR THE CRITICAL-POINT

The nucleation rates derived for the condensation from a supersaturate d vapor are examined both in the classical theory and in the modern co arse-grained field theory. By virtue of the scaling variable lambda(Z) it is shown that the method of steepest descent is irrelevant to eval uate the nucleation rate in the proximity of the critical point in the capillary approximation. If the logarithmic corrections to the activa tion energy of a droplet are taken into account, then the calculated n ucleation rates provide an adequate description of the liquid-gas phas e transition both near and out of the critical range.