Nanoclusters and microparticles in gases and vapors

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Various nanoclusters and microparticles are examined in excited and ionized gases, focusing on processes involving them. Concepts developed 50-100 years ago for dense media are applied to analyze these processes in gases under two regimes: the kinetic regime, where surrounding atoms of a buffer gas do not participate in interactions with small particles, and the diffusion regime, where the interaction is governed by hydrodynamic laws. To estimate the rates of these processes, we utilize the liquid drop model for small particles, introduced by N. Bohr for atomic nuclei analysis, and the hard sphere model used by J. C. Maxwell, which contributed to the kinetic theory of gases. These models, along with an assessment of their accuracy, facilitate the study of various processes, including transport in gases with small particles, charging, chemical reactions, atom attachment, and quenching of excited atomic particles on small particle surfaces. Additionally, nucleation processes such as coagulation, coalescence, and the growth of fractal aggregates, chain aggregates, fractal fibers, and aerogels are analyzed. Each analysis concludes with analytic formulas or simple models to calculate or estimate the rate of specific processes, along with criteria for the validity of the derived expressions. Real objects and processes involving small particles are also explored.