A theory of homogeneous condensation from small nuclei. I. Modified Mayer theory of physical clusters

A theory of physical clusters is developed within the framework of the Theory of Imperfect Gases. Physical monomers and clusters are redefined diagrammatically thereby removing the unphysical nature of the usual Mayer clusters while retaining essentially all of the desirable features of the Mayer theory. The resulting formulation is simple, unambiguous, and well suited for incorporation into a kinetic theory of condensation which is computationally tractable.