Phoretic forces on aerosol particles surrounding an evaporating droplet in microgravity conditions

As phoretic forces depend on aerosol diameter and water vapour pressure gradient, experiments were performed by changing the aerosol diameter (range 0.4 μm-2 μm) and the water vapour gradient. The experimental results show a prevalence of the diffusiophoretic over thermophoretic force, for the considered aerosol. The measured values of the particle velocities due to phoretic forces increase with increasing aerosol diameter and vapour pressure gradient.