STATISTICAL THERMODYNAMICS OF NUCLEATION - THEORY OF HOMOGENEOUS CONDENSATION

Essential difficulties of the nucleation theory have been considered, especially those of calculating the number of droplets forming per uni t time nu during the condensation of vapor. A more general statistical method using the Gibb's grand ensemble as the basis has been shown in the case of moderate supersaturations to allow, in a very strict and general manner, the determination of nu, a pre-exponential factor incl usive. For a particular case of rarefied vapor, the pre-exponential fa ctor coincides with that found by Frenkel.