Terminal Liquid Mass Fractions and Terminal Mean Droplet Sizes in He Free-Jet Expansions

The terminal liquid mass fraction in He free-jet expansions is deduced from time-of-flight measurements using conservation of energy. Both the present results and results from prior measurements are correlated using a scaling parameter which was used previously for correlating droplet size as a function of source conditions. Deduced values of the mass fraction range from 0.047 to 0.42. The terminal mean droplet size is determined using a novel technique based on a size-dependent attenuation of the beam droplets when impacted by electrons. The determined sizes are in agreement with sizes obtained previously by crossing the droplet beam with an atomic beam, confirming the suitability of the present technique, which is relatively simple in comparison with crossing the droplet beam with an atomic beam. Measured values of the terminal velocity of the droplets are compared with values calculated for a model in which real-fluid properties are used for the enthalpy in the source but conversion of heat of condensation into energy of directed motion is neglected. The deviations from perfect-gas behavior in free-jet expansions are shown to be due to real-fluid properties and condensation.