Heat transfer in nucleation theory

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Abstract
In nucleation theory the rate of growth of droplets near the ``critical size'' is needed as a function of the supersaturation ratio and of the equilibration time for heat transfer to the carrier gas. If the droplet is sufficiently small, the latent heat deposited when one molecule is added heats the droplet sufficiently for the evaporation rate to be increased appreciably. It is shown that the net growth rate is ``exponentially small'' when the heat transfer rate is moderately slow, unless the supersaturation ratio exceeds a critical value. Approximations are derived for this small growth rate under various conditions.