Phoretic forces on aerosol particles surrounding an evaporating droplet in microgravity conditions

The work presents the results of an experimental campaign performed at the Drop Tower Facility (Bremen) in microgravity conditions, concerning the scavenging process of an evaporating single droplet in stationary conditions. In the experimental conditions the thermo- and diffusiophoretic forces are the only ones that can determine the scavenging of the aerosol. The research is finalized to help solve the open question concerning the contribution of thermo- and diffusiophoretic forces in aerosol scavenging process due to cloud droplets. Although earlier theoretical and experimental papers have addressed this problem, the results are contradictory and inconclusive. As phoretic forces depend on aerosol diameter and water vapour pressure gradient, experiments were performed by changing the aerosol diameter (range 0.4 mu m-2 mu m) and the water vapour gradient. The experimental results show a prevalence of the diffusiophoretic over thermophoretic force, for the considered aerosol. The measured values of the particle velocities due to phoretic forces increase with increasing aerosol diameter and vapour pressure gradient. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.