EARLY-STAGE EVOLUTION OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION DUE TO GRAVITATIONAL COAGULATION

Evolution of the particle size distribution of an aerosol undergoing gravitational coagulation in early time stages was numerically investigated. The moment method was also applied in initiating a simple approach to the changes of particle size distribution parameters. Finally, an analytical solution was developed approximating the collision kernel into a form suitable for the analysis. The results underwent analysis by comparison. The derived analytical solution was found to be in good agreement with the numerical moment method. However, the results of the moment method do not exactly coincide with the results of the direct numerical integration because the particle size distribution does not attain the log-normal size distribution form.