Polymolecular Clusters: Water Vapor's Hidden Phase?
Abstract
Since the early cloud chamber research of C.T.R. Wilson 100 years ago, scientific evidence has existed that water vapor contains huge populations of electrically neutral clusters of water molecules. Hydrogen bonding was unknown to Wilson; therefore, he could not assign a physical basis to these clusters. Thirty years ago, the author began collecting observations and performing new experiments to elucidate the nature of these clusters and their equilibria with their dissociative ions. The experimental results from diverse investigations of atmospheric turbulence, IR absorption and emission, mass spectrometry, vapor electrical conductivity, nucleation events in cooling, saturated water vapor, and moist air are included. The conclusions based on these experimental results are absolutely fundamental to the physical sciences and to our understanding of water itself.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA299836
Entities
People
- Hugh R. Carlon
Organizations
- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center