Nucleation in a superheated gas-saturated solution is regarded as a diffusi
onal process in the space of three variables of a nucleus: Its volume upsil
on and the partial pressures of the components p(1)",p(2)". The paper deter
mines the surface relief of the thermodynamic potential in the vicinity of
the saddle point and describes the growth of vapor bubbles in a solution wi
th allowance for its viscosity, rate of evaporation of molecules of a solve
nt, and a dissolved substance, rate of diffusional supply of a substance to
the bubble surface. The tensor of the generalized diffusion of nuclei, the
decrement of increase of an unstable variable, the stationary nucleation r
ate have been calculated. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-96
06(99)51603-6].