The nucleation process: Cavitation, Boiling, and coupling with the macroscale

Nucleation of a second phase in a mother fluid is a ubiquitous phenomenon whose prediction proved a formidable task, particularly in the case of water. Here a self-contained model is discussed which is shown able to accurately reproduce data for bulk water over the most extended range of temperatures for which accurate experiments are available [1]. The computations are based on a Ginzburg-Landau model which, as only inputs, requires a reliable equation of state for the bulk free energy and the interfacial tension of the water-vapor system. Rare event techniques borrowed from statistical mechanics allow the determination of the free-energy barrier and the nucleation rate. By consistently including thermal fluctuations [2] in the spirit of Fluctuating Hydrodynamics, the approach is extended to dynamic conditions in the presence of solid walls of different wettability [4] to allow coupling with fluid motion [4]. The talk will discuss a wide range of possible applications, such as homogeneous and heterogeneous cavitation, coupling with fluid flow, and possibly condensation.