Thermal-accommodation measurement of helium on a suspended water droplet

Journal Article · Thu Mar 31 23:00:00 EST 1988 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.37.2557· OSTI ID:5235665

Fung, K H; Tang, I N

An innovative method for determining the thermal-accommodation coefficients of gases by means of monitoring the Mie scattering from a single suspended water droplet is described. The heat exchange between the gas molecules and the suspended droplet is analyzed by considering the simultaneous mass- and heat-transfer processes during droplet growth by condensation in a gas--water-vapor environment. Measurements have been carried out for helium with water-vapor-to-helium ratios in the range of 1:0.5 to 1:2.5. The thermal conductivity of this mixture is found to be best represented by its reciprocal average. The thermal-accommodation coefficient of helium on water surfaces is determined to be 0.65 +- 0.05, as compared to unity for water vapor on water surfaces.

• Research Organization: Environmental Chemistry Division, Department of Applied Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5235665
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. A; (United States) Vol. 37:7; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
DROPLETS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
HELIUM
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERFACES
LIQUIDS
MASS TRANSFER
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
RARE GASES
SCATTERING
WATER