Homogeneous nucleation: a problem in nonequilibrium quantum statistical mechanics

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6626982· OSTI ID:6626982

The master equation for cluster growth and evaporation is derived for many-body quantum mechanics and from a modified version of quantum damping theory used in laser physics. For application to nucleation theory, the quantum damping theory is generalized to include system and reservoir states that are not separate entities. Formulas for rate constants are obtained. Solutions of the master equation yield equations of state and system-averaged quantities recognized as thermodynamic variables. Formulas for Helmholtz free energies of clusters in a Debye approximation are derived. Coexistence-line equations for pressure, volume, and number of clusters are obtained from equations-of-state analysis. Coexistence-line and surface-tension data are used to obtain values of parameters for the Debye approximation. These data are employed in calculating both the nucleation current in diffusion cloud chamber experiments and the onset of condensation in expansion nozzle experiments. Theoretical and experimental results are similar for both cloud chamber and nozzle experiments, which measure water. Comparison with other theories reveals that classical theory only accidently agrees with experiment and that the Helmholtz free-energy formula used in the Lothe--Pound theory is incomplete. 27 figures, 3 tables, 149 references.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6626982
• Report Number(s): LA-7441-T; TRN: 79-002442
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DIFFUSION CHAMBERS
NUCLEATION
DROPWISE CONDENSATION
NOZZLES
WATER
DROPLETS
EQUATIONS OF STATE
EVAPORATION
FREE ENERGY
HAMILTONIANS
HILBERT SPACE
QUANTUM MECHANICS
QUANTUM OPERATORS
STATISTICAL MECHANICS
SUPERSATURATION
VAPORS
BANACH SPACE
CLOUD CHAMBERS
ENERGY
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
GAS TRACK DETECTORS
GASES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MECHANICS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATION DETECTORS
SATURATION
SPACE
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VAPOR CONDENSATION
640420* - Fluid Physics- Properties & Structure of Fluids- (-1987)
657006 - Theoretical Physics- Statistical Physics & Thermodynamics- (-1987)