INTERFACIAL CURVATURE FREE-ENERGY, THE KELVIN RELATION, AND VAPOR-LIQUID NUCLEATION RATE

The interfacial curvature free energy is shown to cause a significant barrier height correction to the classical nucleation rate. This corre ction is found to be temperature dependent, bur independent of nucleus size. Density functional (DF) calculations are presented for a nonuni form spherical droplet model of the nucleus, Calculations for the surf ace tension, as a function of nucleus size, and for the interfacial cu rvature free energy support theoretical predictions and provide an exp lanation for systematic discrepancies between classical and DF nucleat ion theories and between the classical theory and experiment. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.