Mapping nucleation kinetics with nanometer resolution

Nucleation is the formation of a new condensed phase from a fluid phase via self-assembly. This process is critical to many natural systems and technical applications including the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and advanced materials, the formation of clouds, mineral formation in the Earth's crust, and the stability of proteins. While scientists have studied nucleation for over a century, it remains an elusive process because it occurs sporadically in time. Moreover, a nucleus can be less than a nanometer (10-9 m) in size.