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Condensation nucleus measurements
R. F. Pueschel
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Abstract
Condensation (Atiken) nuclei are defined, in the context of this paper, as particles that are detectable when vapor (usually water) condenses upon them at supersaturations of several hundred percent. At such high supersaturations, condensation takes place on particles having diameters of 0.01 ..mu..m or less. Such tiny particles are too small to either scatter or absorb electromagnetic radiation significantly or to contribute to cloud formation in the atmosphere, where supersaturations rarely exceed a fraction of a percent. Because of their extremely small sizes, condensation nuclei cannot be detected by conventional optical techniques. The usual method employed in detecting and counting condensation nuclei is to condense some vapor, usually water, upon them to form droplets of visible size.