Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Small Angle Neutron Scattering From D2o–H2o Nanodroplets And Binary Nucleation Rates In A Supersonic Nozzle, Christopher H. Heath, Kiril A. Streletzky, Barbara E. Wyslouzil, Judith Woelk, Reinhard Strey

Physics Faculty Publications

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments were used to characterize binary nanodroplets composed of D2O and H2O. The droplets were formed by expanding dilute mixtures of condensible vapor in a N2 carrier gas through a supersonic nozzle, while maintaining the onset of condensation at a fixed position in the nozzle. It is remarkable, given the small coherent scattering length density of light water, that even the pure H2O aerosol gave a scattering signal above background. The scattering spectra were analyzed assuming a log-normal distribution of droplets. On average, the geometric radius of the nanodroplets rg was rg=13 (±1) nm, the …