Retardation of condensation nuclei growth by surfactant

Abstract

A one-dimensional cloud model is used to show how the coverage of droplets by surfactant films can suddenly change the growth of certain sizes of drops in a cloud drop spectrum. The retarded or accelerated growth depends upon the nature and thickness of the surfactant film, the size of the nuclei, and the cooling rate of the air parcel. Some conclusions are made concerning the practical application of interfering with the colloidal stability of warm clouds or fogs.