Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2019 iii Paper 344 3 e Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The flat interface is an equilibrium reservoir with , while the droplet has the constant surface value . The exterior chemical potential satisfies the Laplace equation, tends to zero far away, and obeys these two surface values. These are exactly the electrostatic boundary conditions at a conductor for a sphere held at potential above a grounded infinite plane.
Introduce an arbitrary permittivity . In the electrostatic problem, . Therefore the diffusion-capacitance analogy gives the outward currentFor an isolated sphere, its capacitance is , so . Dividing givesThus sphere-plane capacitance determines the evaporation enhancement. The assumed spherical shape gives the corresponding law for droplet evaporation near a planar reservoir. The local surface current is generally nonuniform, even though its total is described by a single capacitance.