Isotope Fractionation of Water During Evaporation WithoutCondensation

Journal Article · Wed Oct 19 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · Journal of Physical Chemistry B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jp0539066· OSTI ID:908470

Cappa, Christopher D; Drisdell, Walter S; Smith, Jared D; Saykally, Richard J; Cohen, Ronald C

The microscopic events engendering liquid water evaporation have received much attention over the last century, but remain incompletely understood. We present measurements of isotope fractionation occurring during free molecular evaporation from liquid microjets and show that the isotope ratios of evaporating molecules exhibit dramatic differences from equilibrium vapor values, strong variations with the solution deuterium mole fraction, and a clear temperature dependence. These results indicate the existence of an energetic barrier to evaporation and that the evaporation coefficient of water is less than unity. These new insights into water evaporation promise to advance our understanding of the processes that control the formation and lifetime of clouds in the atmosphere.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director. Office of Science. Office of AdvancedScientific Computing Research. Office of Basic Energy Sciences. ChemicalSciences Geosciences and Biosciences Division; National ScienceFoundation Grant ATM-0138669
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 908470
• Report Number(s): LBNL--59505; #322; BnR: KC0301020
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Journal Name: Journal of Physical Chemistry B Vol. 109; ISSN 1089-5647; ISSN JPCBFK
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
EVAPORATION
FRACTIONATION
MOLECULES
WATER