Multicomponent homogeneous nucleation

Particle formation events from gaseous precursors are observed frequently almost everywhere in the troposphere, both in polluted cities and remote clean areas [4]. It is likely that different nucleation mechanisms are at work in different conditions, but no formation mechanism has been identified so far. It is, however, clear that particles are formed by nucleation of a multicomponent vapor mixture. Water vapor is the most abundant condensable gas in the atmosphere, but it can not form particles on its own homogeneous nucleation requires such a high supersaturation, that heterogeneous nucleation on omnipresent pre-existing particles always starts first and consumes the vapor. However, vapor that is un-... 

The extension of the CNT to homogeneous nucleation in atmospheric, essentially multicomponent, systems have faced significant problems due to difficulties in determining the activity coefficients, surface tension and density of binary and ternary solutions. The BHN and THN theories have been experiences a number of modifications and updates. At the present time, the updated quasi-steady state BHN model [16] and kinetic quasi-imary nucleation theory [24,66], and classical THN theory [25,33] and kinetic THN model constrained by the experimental data... 

---