Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 344 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The far-field composition has chemical potential zero. Local curved-interface coexistence imposes . The decaying spherically symmetric solution of the exterior Laplace equation isWith constant mobility, its outward current isThe linearized exterior composition is , consistent with the surface shift in the previous part.
For diffusion-controlled droplet growth, the interior is uniform to leading order and has no diffusive current. Replacing exterior material by interior material requires the composition jump , so conservation gives . HenceThe negative sign represents evaporation. The total outward current is , independent of in this leading quasi-static capillary approximation.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 344 3 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Integrate the diffusion-controlled droplet growth equation: . ThusSetting the radius to zero givesThis is the lifetime predicted by the sharp-interface quasi-static model. The final stage at a radius comparable to the interface width falls outside that approximation, while the leading lifetime for a large initial droplet is dominated by the larger radii.