Nonadiabatic Effects in Cloud Chamber Expansions,
Abstract
An energy balance was applied to the expansion process that occurs in a Wilson cloud chamber, and the nonadiabatic effects were thereby quantified. Chamber pressure, volume, and optical transmission were recorded continuously on a high-speed oscillograph, and this yielded highly accurate data both for chamber pressure against volume and for onset of condensation as a function of time. Both moist and dry argon were tested, and comparisons with theoretical values of heat transfer were made. Effective polytropic coefficients were defined, and the polytropic coefficients for the wet argon tests were used to calculate critical supersaturation. These actual critical supersaturations were compared with those computed for equivalent adiabatic expansions. The critical supersaturations were compared with the data of Wilson and Powell and also with the predictions from classical nucleation theory. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1972
- Accession Number
- AD0745348
Entities
People
- Thor I. Eklund
Organizations
- Brown University