ABSTRACT
Dew is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Natural dew can be found outdoors when the sky is clear and the wind is weak. Nucleation and growth is modified when the water droplet is cloaked by oil. Droplet growth occurs through the vapor transport in the liquid films and although the viscosity of the liquid does not affect droplet nucleation, it plays an important role in droplet growth. Heterogeneous nucleation therefore permits condensation for temperature differences much less than required for homogeneous nucleation. The thermal and diffusive boundary layers being of near-equal amplitude, it is interesting to compare the condensation rates of radiative and contact cooling of bumpy substrates with the same cooling flux. A quantification of the effect of borders on drop evolution needs to consider several factors. Drops near discontinuities always undergo coalescence with the neighboring drops that grow on the same plane.
