THE FACTOR 1/S IN THE CLASSICAL-THEORY OF NUCLEATION

It is shown that there is no fundamental justification for the factor 1/S frequently used to adjust the classical theory of nucleation, and that one can arrive at an arbitrary factor (including unity), depending upon how the translational degrees of freedom of the nucleus are separated (within the model) from the remaining ones. The most correct and unambiguous result (within the model) can only be obtained by means of molecular theory. In addition, it is demonstrated that (again within the model) the use of the full machinery of chemical-like detailed balance is unnecessary for the purpose of deriving cluster evaporation coefficients.