Determination of nucleation rates near the critical point

TL;DR

This paper compares classical and modern theories of nucleation rates near the critical point, showing that accounting for logarithmic corrections yields accurate predictions across the phase transition.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the steepest descent method is unsuitable near the critical point and highlights the importance of logarithmic corrections in modeling nucleation rates.

Findings

Steepest descent method is irrelevant near the critical point.

Logarithmic corrections improve the accuracy of nucleation rate predictions.

Nucleation rates align with phase transition behavior when corrections are included.

Abstract

The nucleation rates derived for the condensation from a supersaturated vapor are examined both in the classical theory and in the modern coarse-grained field theory. By virtue of the scaling variable $\lambda_Z$ it is shown that the method of steepest descent is irrelevant to evaluate the nucleation rate in the proximity of the critical point in the capillary approximation. If the logarithmic corrections to the activation energy of a droplet are taken into account, then the calculated nucleation rates provide an adequate description of the liquid-gas phase transition both near and out of the critical range.