Isothermal condensation on a plane surface

Abstract

The half-space problem of isothermal condensation of a vapor diffusing through a background gas is considered. Accurate numerical results for the jump distance and density profile in the Knudsen layer for arbitrary mass ratio (background/vapor) are obtained via the use of the SN method. The results correspond to the assumption of rigid sphere molecular interaction, but the development is sufficiently general that results for other molecular force laws could also be obtained. Finally, a correlation for the jump coefficient as a function of the mass ratio is given.