Validity of commonly used formula of nucleation work for bubble nucleation

Abstract

Nishioka and Kusaka [J. Chem. Phys. 96 (1992) 5370 (1992)] showed that the commonly used formula, W = n({\mu}^{\alpha}-{\mu}^{\beta}) + {\gamma}A, for work of formation of critical nucleus is derived by integrating the isothermal Gibbs-Duhem relation for the incompressible nucleating phase, such as an incompressible liquid phase nucleation in a vapor phase. In their paper as wel as in a subsequent paper [Li, Nishioka, and Holcomb, J. Cryst. Growth 171 (1997) 259] it was stated that the commonly used formula was valid for an incompressible nucleating phase and no longer held for such as a bubble nucleation. In this paper, we will amend this statement; that is, the commonly used formula is shown to hold for incompressible parent phase, such as a bubble nucleation in an incompressible parent phase.