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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Keywords

  • organic aerosol
  • cloud condensation nuclei
  • high molecular weight compounds

Index Terms

  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Cloud physics and chemistry
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pollution: urban and regional
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere: composition and chemistry

Abstract

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 36, L22801, 5 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2009GL040131

Role of molecular size in cloud droplet activation

M. D. Petters

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

S. M. Kreidenweis

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

A. J. Prenni

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

R. C. Sullivan

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

C. M. Carrico

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

K. A. Koehler

Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA

P. J. Ziemann

Air Pollution Research Center, University of California, Riverside, California, USA

We examine the observed relationships between molar volume (the ratio of molar mass and density) and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity for sufficiently soluble organic compounds found in atmospheric particulate matter. Our data compilation includes new CCN data for certain carbohydrates and oligoethylene glycols, as well as published data for organic compounds. We compare predictions of CCN activity using water activities based on Raoult's law and Flory-Huggins theory to observations. The Flory-Huggins water activity expression, with an assumed surface tension of pure water, generally predicts CCN activity within a factor of two over the full range of molar volumes considered. CCN activity is only weakly dependent on molar volume for values exceeding 600 cm3 mol−1, and the diminishing sensitivity to molar volume, combined with the significant scatter in the data, limits the accuracy with which molar volume can be inferred from CCN measurements.

Received 22 July 2009; accepted 5 October 2009; published 17 November 2009.

Citation: Petters, M. D., S. M. Kreidenweis, A. J. Prenni, R. C. Sullivan, C. M. Carrico, K. A. Koehler, and P. J. Ziemann (2009), Role of molecular size in cloud droplet activation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L22801, doi:10.1029/2009GL040131.

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