Ostwald ripening of bubbles in liquid-gas solutions (Q1094277)

The possibility of a stable coexistence of bubbles in supersaturated liquid-gas solutions is investigated. Based on thermodynamic investigations, a theory of Ostwald ripening of gas bubbles in liquid-gas solutions is presented which includes the description of the initial stage of this process. Differential equations describing the time development of the mean radius and the number of bubbles are derived. The results can also be applied to a description of the growth of single droplets and ensembles of droplets in multicomponent vapours, demonstrating the analogy between the time development of ensembles of droplets and bubbles.