GROWTH OF CONDENSATION AEROSOLS BY COAGULATION, CONDENSATION AND EVAPORATION FROM A CONTINUOUSLY REINFORCED VAPOR.

The kinetics of phase transition for mass conserved systems begins with nucleation of a supersaturated vapor in a metastable state. Subsequently, the aerosol grows by coagulation and by condensation/evaporation. This transitional growth period is characterized by a rapid increase in the aerosol mass, which approaches the asymptotic value in a relatively short period of time with a drastic decrease in supersaturation ratio. As the mean diameter of the aerosol particles increases, the coagulation rate decreases. Finally, one of the growth processes of condensation/evaporation and coagulation may become the dominant growth mechanism. Extensive numerical simulations were carried out for different organic compounds undergoing the growth processes described at different temperatures in the free molecule regime.