Kinetical runaway in nucleation

The conditions of the runaway nucleation onset and the time evolution of th e cluster distribution function are studied. The nucleation diagram is disc ussed in connection with a kinetically defined nucleation threshold. The ki netics of the runaway nucleation is described in terms of an asymptotically exact self-similar solution for transient nucleation stage. The observable cluster production rate as well as the time-dependent nucleation flux are found, It is shown that new 'similarity' solution provides most adequate de scription (as compared with conventional theories) of the transient nucleat ion kinetics in the case of low nucleation barrier. (C) 1999 Published by E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.