Stabilized capillary microjet and devices and methods for producing same

Abstract

The invention is directed to a stable capillary microjet and a monodisperse aerosol formed when the microjet dissociates. A variety of devices and methods are disclosed which allow for the formation of a stream of a first fluid (e.g. a liquid) characterized by forming a stable capillary microjet over a portion of the stream wherein the microjet portion of the stream is formed by a second fluid (e.g. a gas). The second fluid is preferably in a different state from the first fluid--liquid-gas or gas-liquid combinations. However, the first and second fluids may be two different fluids in miscible in each other. The stable capillary microjet comprises a diameter d.sub.j at a given point A in the stream characterized by the formula: ##EQU1## wherein d.sub.j is the diameter of the stable microjet, = indicates approximately equally to where an acceptable margin of error is .+-.10%, .rho..sub.1 is the density of the liquid and .DELTA.P.sub.g is change in gas pressure of gas surrounding the stream at the point A.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.