Validity of commonly used formula of nucleation work for bubble nucleation

TL;DR

This paper revisits the formula for nucleation work, demonstrating its validity for bubble nucleation in incompressible parent phases, contrary to previous claims that it was only valid for incompressible nucleating phases.

Contribution

It clarifies and corrects the applicability of the nucleation work formula, showing it holds for incompressible parent phases like bubbles, not just for nucleating phases.

Findings

The formula is valid for bubble nucleation in incompressible parent phases.

Previous assumptions about the formula's limitations are revised.

The derivation confirms the formula's broader applicability.

Abstract

Nishioka and Kusaka [J. Chem. Phys. 96 (1992) 5370 (1992)] showed that the commonly used formula, W = n({\mu}^{\alpha}-{\mu}^{\beta}) + {\gamma}A, for work of formation of critical nucleus is derived by integrating the isothermal Gibbs-Duhem relation for the incompressible nucleating phase, such as an incompressible liquid phase nucleation in a vapor phase. In their paper as wel as in a subsequent paper [Li, Nishioka, and Holcomb, J. Cryst. Growth 171 (1997) 259] it was stated that the commonly used formula was valid for an incompressible nucleating phase and no longer held for such as a bubble nucleation. In this paper, we will amend this statement; that is, the commonly used formula is shown to hold for incompressible parent phase, such as a bubble nucleation in an incompressible parent phase.