Aspects of the Shi–Seinfeld–Okuyama theory of transient nucleation

The analytic solution to the time-dependent nucleation problem by Shi-Seinfeld-Okuyama (SSO) [Phys. Rev. A 41, 2101 (1990)] is reviewed. The singular perturbation solution employed by SSO is extended to examine the effect of initial quench position on the incubation time. Two cases are discussed. The first investigates the role of excess vacancies from the high temperature quench on the transient kinetics. The second case examines the change in the incubation time due to the effects of a preexisting subcritical cluster size distribution which forms during the high temperature anneal.