Time resolved measurements of droplet growth in a Wilson cloud chamber

"The growth rates of water drops in a Wilson expansion cloud chamber are measured with air, argon and helium as the carrier gas, in the size range of .5 to 10 microns. The drops growing in the supersaturated chamber exhibit oscillations in the scattered intensity as predicted by Mie theory. Scattered intensity is measured at 30 degrees to the He-Ne laser beam. Supersaturation ratios during growth range from S =1.2 to S = 3.5 for all three gases. The initial temperature is measured and the pressure is monitored continuously so that droplet growth theory can be compared with experiment. Three droplet growth theories were examined, which were chosen as representative of published work. Two of the theories used the sticking coefficient alone as a parameter, while the third used both sticking and thermal accommodation coefficients. No interpretation of the numerical value of the sticking coefficient could be made. In the theory invoking sticking and thermal accommodation coefficients, the former was set to 0.035 in line with other work and the thermal accommodation coefficient fitted as a parameter. The thermal accommodation coefficient was greatest for air and smallest for helium"--Abstract, page ii.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D. in Physics

Grantor

University of Missouri--Rolla

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Vietti, Michael Anthony

• Physics

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/2082

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsmine.mst.edu:doctoral_dissertations-3084