A new method of determination of the nucleation probability of undercooled liquid dispersed within an emulsion is presented. The nucleation probability is a nonlinear function of the temperature depending on two parameters acting very differently. The aim of this paper is to present a method to determine these parameters by an inverse analysis of the heat transfer during the cooling of the emulsion. Information about the precision of the identification is also presented. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.