Computations of the Growth by Condensation of a Population of Cloud Droplets

Abstract

The number and size of cloud droplets formed on several condensation nucleus spectra is computed numerically. The relative humidity is treated as a dependent variable and the settling of droplets by Stokes Law is accounted for. A model is presented for studying simultaneous variations in vertical velocity, nucleus distribution, and humidity by the use of an electronic computer. To date eight computations have been made for three types of nucleus spectra at different rates of rise. Both nucleus distribution and rate of rise produce significant differences in resulting cloud droplet distributions. The concentration of cloud droplets computed ranges from 1 cm⁻³ to 470 cm⁻³ for vertical velocities ranging from 5 cm/sec to 100 cm/sec. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1959.tb00003.x