Acid-base chemical reaction model for nucleation rates in the polluted atmospheric boundary layer

Modi Chen, Mari Titcombe, Jingkun Jiang, Coty Jen, Chongai Kuang, Marc L. Fischer, Fred L. Eisele, J. Ilja Siepmann, David R. Hanson, Jun Zhao, Peter H. McMurry

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Measurements of aerosol number distributions down to one molecule have provided information that we've used to develop a new approach for modeling atmospheric nucleation rates. Measurements were carried out with the Cluster Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (Cluster CIMS), the scanning mobility spectrometer using a diethylene glycol condensation particle counter as detector (DEG SMPS), and an ambient pressure proton transfer mass spectrometer for ammonia and amines (AmPMS). The model explains nucleation as a result of cluster evolution due to a sequence of acid-base reactions. We conclude that the smallest stable cluster contains four sulfuric acid molecules. The model leads to a simple analytic expression for nucleation rates that is reasonably consistent (i.e., ± 10x) with atmospheric observations. The model predicts that nucleation rates are equal to a prefactor, P<1, times the sulfuric acid vapor collision rate, (i.e., J=Ps0.5sk11 *[H 2SO4]2).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationNucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols - 19th International Conference
Pages647-650
Number of pages4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2013
Event19th International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, ICNAA 2013 - Fort Collins, CO, United States
Duration: Jun 23 2013Jun 28 2013

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume1527
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Other

Other19th International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols, ICNAA 2013
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityFort Collins, CO
Period6/23/136/28/13

Keywords

  • Amines
  • Ammonia
  • CCN
  • Clusters
  • Nanoparticles
  • Nucleation
  • Sulfuric Acid

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