Thermodynamics of a dielectric droplet with charged nucleus in an externalelectric field

The equilibrium profile of a dielectric droplet originating on an insoluble charged nucleus in an external uniform electric field was found. The relat ionships obtained in three orders of the perturbation theory with respect t o small deviation from the non-sphericity describe combined field effects o f the charged nucleus and the external field in the coordinate system relat ed to the mass center of the droplet. The dependences of the chemical poten tial and the work of droplet formation on the number of molecules in the dr oplet, the surface tension, the permittivity, the nuclear charge, and the s trength of the external electric field were determined in analytical forms. The influence of the resultant electric field on the threshold value of va por supersaturation and the activation energy of heterogeneous nucleation w as considered. Thermodynamic relationships that allow us to verify theoreti cal self-consistency were discussed.