Effect of external electric field on critical parameters and equivalence between the electric field and super-saturation ratio during water vapour condensation and ice glaciation

In presence of an external electric field water droplets have been found to grow with time. Theory of droplet growth in presence of external electric field has been applied to nucleation phenomenon of water vapour condensation and ice glaciation. The phase change depends on temperature and supersaturation ratio. In the present study, the radius of critical nucleus, number of water molecules in it and Gibbs' free energy of its formation have been calculated as the function of temperature and supersaturation ratio. These parameters have also been calculated in presence of external electric field as the function of electric field and relaxation time. The parameters in presence of electric field have been found much less than those obtained in electric field free case, but the equilibrium concentration of nuclei is very much larger. The equivalence between external electric field and supersaturation ratio suggests that small value of electric field is equivalent to very high supersaturation ratio to get nucleus of given size under similar conditions of temperature.