Classical nucleation theory (CNT) is the most common theoretical model used to quantitatively study the kinetics of nucleation.[1][2][3][4]
Nucleation is the first step in the spontaneous formation of a new thermodynamic phase or a new structure, starting from a state of metastability. The kinetics of formation of the new phase is frequently dominated by nucleation, such that the time to nucleate determines how long it will take for the new phase to appear. The time to nucleate can vary by orders of magnitude, from negligible to exceedingly large, far beyond reach of experimental timescales. One of the key achievements of classical nucleation theory is to explain and quantify this immense variation.[5]
- ^ H. R. Pruppacher and J. D. Klett, Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation, Kluwer (1997)
- ^ P.G. Debenedetti, Metastable Liquids: Concepts and Principles, Princeton University Press (1997)
- ^ Sear, R. P. (2007). "Nucleation: theory and applications to protein solutions and colloidal suspensions". J. Phys.: Condens. Matter. 19 (3): 033101. Bibcode:2007JPCM...19c3101S. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.605.2550. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/19/3/033101. S2CID 4992555.
- ^ Kreer, Markus (1993). "Classical Becker-Döring cluster equations: Rigorous results on metastability and long-time behaviour". Annalen der Physik. 505 (4): 398–417. Bibcode:1993AnP...505..398K. doi:10.1002/andp.19935050408.
- ^ Oxtoby, David W. (1992), "Homogeneous nucleation: theory and experiment", Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 4 (38): 7627–7650, Bibcode:1992JPCM....4.7627O, doi:10.1088/0953-8984/4/38/001, S2CID 250827558