Role of the Knudsen layer in the problem of droplet evaporation (Q800788)

A study is made of the part played by the Knudsen layer in the problem of weak unsteady evaporation of a spherical droplet in its own vapor. It is shown that use of the classical Hertz-Knudsen formula may lead to appreciable errors, in particular, in the determination of the time required by the droplet temperature to relax to the state corresponding to steady evaporation.