SLOW EVAPORATION AND CONDENSATION

An analysis is given of the paradox of an inverted temperature profile in the vapor phase between an evaporating and a condensing liquid surface. This analysis is based on a description in the context of nonequilibrium thermodynamics for a two-phase system. Conditions for the occurrence of both the inverted temperature profile and for supersaturation near the evaporating surface are then given in terms of the temperature and pressure jump coefficients appearing in this description. Comparing with the description using kinetic theory in the vapor phase we obtain explicit expressions for these jump coefficients. Using these expressions the conditions found using nonequilibrium thermodynamics reduce to those given in the context of kinetic theory. © 1990.