Stability of critical bubble in stretched fluid of square-gradient density-functional model with triple-parabolic free energy.
The square-gradient density-functional model with triple-parabolic free energy, which was used previously to study the homogeneous bubble nucleation [M. Iwamatsu, J. Chem. Phys. 129, 104508 (2008)], is used to study the stability of the critical bubble nucleated within the bulk undersaturated stretched fluid. The stability of the bubble is studied by solving the Schrodinger equation for the fluctuation. The negative eigenvalue corresponds to the unstable growing mode of the fluctuation. Our results show that there is only one negative eigenvalue whose eigenfunction represents the fluctuation that corresponds to the isotropically growing or shrinking nucleus. In particular, this negative eigenvalue survives up to the spinodal point. Therefore, the critical bubble is not fractal or ramified near the spinodal.
Iwamatsu
Masao
M
Department of Physics, Tokyo City University, Setagaya-ku, Japan. iwamatsu@ph.ns.tcu.ac.jp
Okabe
Yutaka
Y