Attainable superheating of liquid helium–oxygen solutions

The results are given of experimental investigations of the kinetics of nucleation in gas-saturated helium–oxygen solutions. The temperature dependences of the mean lifetime of solution in the metastable (superheated) state are determined for fixed values of pressure of $1.171$ and $1.667$ MPa and for several values of concentration. The experimental data are compared with the theory of homogeneous nucleation in a macroscopic approximation with due regard for the dependence of the properties of the nuclei on their size. The dimensional effect is included within van der Waals' gradient expansion. The problems associated with the construction of the kinetic theory of boiling of gas-saturated solutions are discussed, and good agreement is ascertained between the experimental data and the theory of nucleation when the latter includes the dimensional effect.