Measurements are reported of the growth of breath figures, the patterns that form when a vapor is condensed onto a cold surface. The pattern for water on glass was studied by direct observation and light scattering as a function of the contact angle, flux F, degree of supersaturation, and time t. When =0^, a uniform layer forms whose thickness grows as t at constant F and. For =90^ droplets are formed; at constant F and the radius of an isolated droplet grows as t^0. 23, but as a result of coalescences the average droplet radius grows as t^0. 75. The growth process is self-similar---coalescences simply rescale the distances and leave the basic droplet pattern unaltered.
Beysens et al. (1986) studied this question.