Prediction of aerosol concentrations resulting from a burst of nucleation

Abstract

The number of particles formed by a burst of homogeneous nucleation in a closed system is predicted approximately and found to depend, in the absence of initial aerosol, only on the dimensionless source rate of vapor, a dimensionless surface tension, and an appropriately defined Knudsen number. The effect of a seed aerosol on the ultimate number of particles formed is also studied. For the purposes of exploring the nature of systems in which a competition for vapor exists between nucleation and condensation, a closed system with a steady source of vapor is considered. It is shown that a narrow window exists within which seed particles can be used to control the ultimate number of particles formed in such a system.

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