DETERMINATION OF SIZE, EVAPORATION RATE AND FREEZING OF WATER DROPLETS USING LIGHT-SCATTERING AND RADIATION PRESSURE

Two independent optical diagnostic techniques for studying the evaporation and freezing of optically levitated droplets are described. In the first technique the size of the droplet is determined by evaluation of the fringe spacing of the light scattered in the forward hemisphere at a scattering angle of 45-degrees. The other technique evaluates the oscillations of optically levitated droplets caused by fluctuations in the radiation pressure. The frequency of these fluctuations is a direct measure for the change of radius with time. In both methods the signals change drastically when freezing of the droplet occurs. Hence the moment of freezing can easily be detected.