Role of gas–molecular cluster–aerosol dynamics in atmospheric new-particle formation
(2022) In Scientific Reports 12(1).- Abstract
New-particle formation from vapors through molecular cluster formation is a central process affecting atmospheric aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei numbers, and a significant source of uncertainty in assessments of aerosol radiative forcing. While advances in experimental and computational methods provide improved assessments of particle formation rates from different species, the standard approach to implement these data in aerosol models rests on highly simplifying assumptions concerning gas–cluster–aerosol dynamics. To quantify the effects of the simplifications, we develop an open-source tool for explicitly simulating the dynamics of the complete particle size spectrum from vapor molecules and molecular clusters to larger... (More)
New-particle formation from vapors through molecular cluster formation is a central process affecting atmospheric aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei numbers, and a significant source of uncertainty in assessments of aerosol radiative forcing. While advances in experimental and computational methods provide improved assessments of particle formation rates from different species, the standard approach to implement these data in aerosol models rests on highly simplifying assumptions concerning gas–cluster–aerosol dynamics. To quantify the effects of the simplifications, we develop an open-source tool for explicitly simulating the dynamics of the complete particle size spectrum from vapor molecules and molecular clusters to larger aerosols for multi-compound new-particle formation. We demonstrate that the simplified treatment is a reasonable approximation for particle formation from weakly clustering chemical compounds, but results in overprediction of particle numbers and of the contribution of new-particle formation to cloud condensation nuclei for strongly clustering, low-concentration trace gases. The new explicit approach circumvents these issues, thus enabling robust model–measurement comparisons, improved assessment of the importance of different particle formation agents, and construction of optimal simplifications for large-scale models.
(Less)
- author
- Olenius, Tinja and Roldin, Pontus LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Scientific Reports
- volume
- 12
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 10135
- publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:35710742
- scopus:85132082045
- ISSN
- 2045-2322
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41598-022-14525-y
- project
- Continental Biosphere Aerosol Cloud climate feedback loop during the Anthropocene
- Modelling atmospheric new particle formation from first principles – The role of Highly Oxygenated organic Molecules in clean and polluted air
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 6c804627-f925-4aa3-9430-93110f352059
- date added to LUP
- 2022-08-26 14:28:32
- date last changed
- 2024-06-13 07:59:40
@article{6c804627-f925-4aa3-9430-93110f352059,
abstract = {{<p>New-particle formation from vapors through molecular cluster formation is a central process affecting atmospheric aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei numbers, and a significant source of uncertainty in assessments of aerosol radiative forcing. While advances in experimental and computational methods provide improved assessments of particle formation rates from different species, the standard approach to implement these data in aerosol models rests on highly simplifying assumptions concerning gas–cluster–aerosol dynamics. To quantify the effects of the simplifications, we develop an open-source tool for explicitly simulating the dynamics of the complete particle size spectrum from vapor molecules and molecular clusters to larger aerosols for multi-compound new-particle formation. We demonstrate that the simplified treatment is a reasonable approximation for particle formation from weakly clustering chemical compounds, but results in overprediction of particle numbers and of the contribution of new-particle formation to cloud condensation nuclei for strongly clustering, low-concentration trace gases. The new explicit approach circumvents these issues, thus enabling robust model–measurement comparisons, improved assessment of the importance of different particle formation agents, and construction of optimal simplifications for large-scale models.</p>}},
author = {{Olenius, Tinja and Roldin, Pontus}},
issn = {{2045-2322}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
series = {{Scientific Reports}},
title = {{Role of gas–molecular cluster–aerosol dynamics in atmospheric new-particle formation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14525-y}},
doi = {{10.1038/s41598-022-14525-y}},
volume = {{12}},
year = {{2022}},
}