Eur. Phys. J. B (2013) 86: 401
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2013-40547-7

Regular Article

Nucleation kinetics of vapor bubbles in a liquid with arbitrary viscosity

Akhiezer Institute for Theoretical Physics, National Science Centre “Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology”, Akademicheskaya Street 1, 61108 Kharkov, Ukraine

^a e-mail: n.alex@kipt.kharkov.ua

Received: 4 June 2013
Received in final form: 16 July 2013
Published online: 25 September 2013

Abstract

The multivariable theory of nucleation in Langevin’s approach [N.V. Alekseechkin, J. Chem. Phys. 124, 124512 (2006); N.V. Alekseechkin, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 024512 (2008)] is applied to the problem of vapor bubbles formation in a liquid with arbitrary viscosity. The obtained expression for the nucleation rate of bubbles is valid for arbitrary relations between the kinetic parameters controlling the nucleation process: viscosity, inertia of a liquid, the rate of evaporation into a bubble and the rate of heat exchange between the bubble and ambient liquid. So, the presented theory yields a complete description of the vapor-bubbles nucleation kinetics in single-component liquids. Limiting cases with respect to the mentioned parameters are considered, in particular, the low-viscosity limit. It is shown that the low- and high-viscosity nucleation rates differ from each other qualitatively and quantitatively. The possibility of application of the theory to cavitation in superfluid helium-4 is discussed.