scholarly journals Temperature-dependent accumulation mode particle and cloud nuclei concentrations from biogenic sources during WACS 2010

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 27989-28031 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ahlm ◽  
K. M. Shakya ◽  
L. M. Russel ◽  
J. C. Schroder ◽  
J. P. S. Wong ◽  
...  

Abstract. Submicron aerosol particles collected simultaneously at the mountain peak (2182 m a.s.l.) and at a forested mid-mountain site (1300 m a.s.l.) on Whistler Mountain, British Columbia, Canada, during June and July 2010 were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for quantification of organic functional groups. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the FTIR spectra. Three PMF factors associated with (1) combustion, (2) biogenics, and (3) vegetative detritus, were identified at both sites. The biogenic factor was correlated with both temperature and several volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The combustion factor dominated the submicron particle mass during the beginning of the campaign when the temperature was lower and advection was from the Vancouver area, but as the temperature started to rise in early July the biogenic factor came to dominate as a result of increased emissions of biogenic VOCs and thereby increased formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). On average, the biogenic factor represented 69% and 49% of the submicron organic particle mass at Whistler Peak and at the mid-mountain site, respectively. The lower fraction at the mid-mountain site was a result of more vegetative detritus there, and also higher influence from local combustion sources. The biogenic factor was strongly correlated (r ~ 0.9) to number concentration of particles with diameter (Dp)> 100 nm, whereas the combustion factor was better correlated to number concentration of particles with Dp < 100 nm (r~ 0.4). The number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was correlated (r ~ 0.7) to the biogenic factor for supersaturations (S) of 0.2% or higher, which indicates that particle condensational growth from biogenic vapors was an important factor in controlling the CCN concentration for clouds where S≥0.2%. Both the number concentration of particles with Dp > 100 nm and numbers of CCN for S≥0.2% were correlated to temperature. Considering the biogenic influence, these results indicate that temperature was a primary factor controlling these CCN concentrations at 0.2% supersaturation.

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3393-3407 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ahlm ◽  
K. M. Shakya ◽  
L. M. Russell ◽  
J. C. Schroder ◽  
J. P. S. Wong ◽  
...  

Abstract. Submicron aerosol particles collected simultaneously at the mountain peak (2182 m a.s.l.) and at a forested mid-mountain site (1300 m a.s.l.) on Whistler Mountain, British Columbia, Canada, during June and July 2010 were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for quantification of organic functional groups. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was applied to the FTIR spectra. Three PMF factors associated with (1) combustion, (2) biogenics, and (3) vegetative detritus were identified at both sites. The biogenic factor was correlated with both temperature and several volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The combustion factor dominated the submicron particle mass during the beginning of the campaign, when the temperature was lower and advection was from the Vancouver area, but as the temperature started to rise in early July, the biogenic factor came to dominate as a result of increased emissions of biogenic VOCs, and thereby increased formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). On average, the biogenic factor represented 69% and 49% of the submicron organic particle mass at Whistler Peak and at the mid-mountain site, respectively. The lower fraction at the mid-mountain site was a result of more vegetative detritus there, and also higher influence from local combustion sources. The biogenic factor was strongly correlated (r~0.9) to number concentration of particles with diameter (Dp)> 100 nm, whereas the combustion factor was better correlated to number concentration of particles with Dp<100 nm (r~0.4). The number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) was correlated (r~0.7) to the biogenic factor for supersaturations (S) of 0.2% or higher, which indicates that particle condensational growth from biogenic vapors was an important factor in controlling the CCN concentration for clouds where S≥0.2%. Both the number concentration of particles with Dp>100 nm and numbers of CCN for S≥0.2% were correlated to temperature. Considering the biogenic influence, these results indicate that temperature was a primary factor controlling these CCN concentrations at 0.2% supersaturation.


Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simonas Ramanavičius ◽  
Milda Petrulevičienė ◽  
Jurga Juodkazytė ◽  
Asta Grigucevičienė ◽  
Arūnas Ramanavičius

In this research, the investigation of sensing properties of non-stoichiometric WO3 (WO3−x) film towards some volatile organic compounds (VOC) (namely: Methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone) and ammonia gas are reported. Sensors were tested at several temperatures within the interval ranging from a relatively low temperature of 60 up to 270 °C. Significant variation of selectivity, which depended on the operational temperature of sensor, was observed. Here, the reported WO3/WO3–x-based sensing material opens an avenue for the design of sensors with temperature-dependent sensitivity, which can be applied in the design of new gas- and/or VOC-sensing systems that are dedicated for the determination of particular gas- and/or VOC-based analyte concentration in the mixture of different gases and/or VOCs, using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Boschini ◽  
M. Minola ◽  
R. Sutarto ◽  
E. Schierle ◽  
M. Bluschke ◽  
...  

AbstractIn strongly correlated systems the strength of Coulomb interactions between electrons, relative to their kinetic energy, plays a central role in determining their emergent quantum mechanical phases. We perform resonant x-ray scattering on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, a prototypical cuprate superconductor, to probe electronic correlations within the CuO2 plane. We discover a dynamic quasi-circular pattern in the x-y scattering plane with a radius that matches the wave vector magnitude of the well-known static charge order. Along with doping- and temperature-dependent measurements, our experiments reveal a picture of charge order competing with superconductivity where short-range domains along x and y can dynamically rotate into any other in-plane direction. This quasi-circular spectrum, a hallmark of Brazovskii-type fluctuations, has immediate consequences to our understanding of rotational and translational symmetry breaking in the cuprates. We discuss how the combination of short- and long-range Coulomb interactions results in an effective non-monotonic potential that may determine the quasi-circular pattern.


2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3835-3846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Z. Deng ◽  
C. S. Zhao ◽  
N. Ma ◽  
P. F. Liu ◽  
L. Ran ◽  
...  

Abstract. Size-resolved and bulk activation properties of aerosols were measured at a regional/suburban site in the North China Plain (NCP), which is occasionally heavily polluted by anthropogenic aerosol particles and gases. A Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) closure study is conducted with bulk CCN number concentration (NCCN) and calculated CCN number concentration based on the aerosol number size distribution and size-resolved activation properties. The observed CCN number concentration (NCCN-obs) are higher than those observed in other locations than China, with average NCCN-obs of roughly 2000, 3000, 6000, 10 000 and 13 000 cm−3 at supersaturations of 0.056, 0.083, 0.17, 0.35 and 0.70%, respectively. An inferred critical dry diameter (Dm) is calculated based on the NCCN-obs and aerosol number size distribution assuming homogeneous chemical composition. The inferred cut-off diameters are in the ranges of 190–280, 160–260, 95–180, 65–120 and 50–100 nm at supersaturations of 0.056, 0.083, 0.17, 0.35 and 0.7%, with their mean values 230.1, 198.4, 128.4, 86.4 and 69.2 nm, respectively. Size-resolved activation measurements show that most of the 300 nm particles are activated at the investigated supersaturations, while almost no particles of 30 nm are activated even at the highest supersaturation of 0.72%. The activation ratio increases with increasing supersaturation and particle size. The slopes of the activation curves for ambient aerosols are not as steep as those observed in calibrations with ammonium sulfate suggesting that the observed aerosols is an external mixture of more hygroscopic and hydrophobic particles. The calculated CCN number concentrations (NCCN-calc) based on the size-resolved activation ratio and aerosol number size distribution correlate well with the NCCN-obs, and show an average overestimation of 19%. Sensitivity studies of the CCN closure show that the NCCN at each supersaturation is well predicted with the campaign average of size-resolved activation curves. These results indicate that the aerosol number size distribution is critical in the prediction of possible CCN. The CCN number concentration can be reliably estimated using time-averaged, size-resolved activation efficiencies without accounting for the temporal variations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 4005-4030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Morrison ◽  
Mikael Witte ◽  
George H. Bryan ◽  
Jerry Y. Harrington ◽  
Zachary J. Lebo

Abstract This study investigates droplet size distribution (DSD) characteristics from condensational growth and transport in Eulerian dynamical models with bin microphysics. A hierarchy of modeling frameworks is utilized, including parcel, one-dimensional (1D), and three-dimensional large-eddy simulation (LES). The bin DSDs from the 1D model, which includes only vertical advection and condensational growth, are nearly as broad as those from the LES and in line with observed DSD widths for stratocumulus clouds. These DSDs are much broader than those from Lagrangian microphysical calculations within a parcel framework that serve as a numerical benchmark for the 1D tests. In contrast, the bin-modeled DSDs are similar to the Lagrangian microphysical benchmark for a rising parcel in which Eulerian transport is not considered. These results indicate that numerical diffusion associated with vertical advection is a key contributor to broadening DSDs in the 1D model and LES. This DSD broadening from vertical numerical diffusion is unphysical, in contrast to the physical mixing processes that previous studies have indicated broaden DSDs in real clouds. It is proposed that artificial DSD broadening from vertical numerical diffusion compensates for underrepresented horizontal variability and mixing of different droplet populations in typical LES configurations with bin microphysics, or the neglect of other mechanisms that broaden DSDs such as growth of giant cloud condensation nuclei. These results call into question the ability of Eulerian dynamical models with bin microphysics to investigate the physical mechanisms for DSD broadening, even though they may reasonably simulate overall DSD characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 11289-11302
Author(s):  
Imre Salma ◽  
Wanda Thén ◽  
Máté Vörösmarty ◽  
András Zénó Gyöngyösi

Abstract. Collocated measurements using a condensation particle counter, differential mobility particle sizer and cloud condensation nuclei counter were realised in parallel in central Budapest from 15 April 2019 to 14 April 2020 to gain insight into the cloud activation properties of urban aerosol particles. The median total particle number concentration was 10.1 × 103 cm−3. The median concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) at water vapour supersaturation (S) values of 0.1 %, 0.2 %, 0.3 %, 0.5 % and 1.0 % were 0.59, 1.09, 1.39, 1.80 and 2.5 × 103 cm−3, respectively. The CCN concentrations represented 7–27 % of all particles. The CCN concentrations were considerably larger but the activation fractions were systematically substantially smaller than observed in regional or remote locations. The effective critical dry particle diameters (dc,eff) were derived utilising the CCN concentrations and particle number size distributions. Their median values at the five supersaturation values considered were 207, 149, 126, 105 and 80 nm, respectively; all of these diameters were positioned within the accumulation mode of the typical particle number size distribution. Their frequency distributions revealed a single peak for which the geometric standard deviation increased monotonically with S. This broadening indicated high time variability in the activating properties of smaller particles. The frequency distributions also showed fine structure, with several compositional elements that seemed to reveal a consistent or monotonical tendency with S. The relationships between the critical S and dc,eff suggest that urban aerosol particles in Budapest with diameters larger than approximately 130 nm showed similar hydroscopicity to corresponding continental aerosol particles, whereas smaller particles in Budapest were less hygroscopic than corresponding continental aerosol particles. Only modest seasonal cycling in CCN concentrations and activation fractions was seen, and only for large S values. This cycling likely reflects changes in the number concentration, chemical composition and mixing state of the particles. The seasonal dependencies of dc,eff were featureless, indicating that the droplet activation properties of the urban particles remained more or less the same throughout the year. This is again different from what is seen in non-urban locations. Hygroscopicity parameters (κ values) were computed without determining the time-dependent chemical composition of the particles. The median values for κ were 0.15, 0.10, 0.07, 0.04 and 0.02, respectively, at the five supersaturation values considered. The averages suggested that the larger particles were considerably more hygroscopic than the smaller particles. We found that the κ values for the urban aerosol were substantially smaller than those previously reported for aerosols in regional or remote locations. All of these characteristics can be linked to the specific source composition of particles in cities. The relatively large variability in the hygroscopicity parameters for a given S emphasises that the individual values represent the CCN population in ambient air while the average hygroscopicity parameter mainly corresponds to particles with sizes close to the effective critical dry particle diameter.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 2151-2174 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. P. Frank ◽  
U. Dusek ◽  
M. O. Andreae

Abstract. The static (parallel-plate thermal-gradient) diffusion chamber (SDC) was one of the first instruments designed to measure cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations as a function of supersaturation. It has probably also been the most widely used type of CCN counter. This paper describes the detailed experimental characterization of a SDC CCN counter, including calibration with respect to supersaturation and particle number concentration. In addition, we investigated the proposed effect of lowered supersaturation because of water vapor depletion with increasing particle concentration. The results obtained gives a larger understanding why and in which way it is necessary to calibrate the SDC CCN counter. The calibration method is described in detail as well. The method can, in parts, be used for calibrations also for other types of CCN counters. We conclude the following: 1) it is important to experimentally calibrate SDC CCN counters with respect to supersaturation, and not only base the supersaturation on the theoretical description of the instrument; 2) the number concentration calibration needs to be performed as a function of supersaturation, also for SDC CCN counter using the photographic technique; and 3) we observed no evidence that water vapor depletion lowered the supersaturation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Thouron ◽  
J.-L. Brenguier ◽  
F. Burnet

Abstract. A new parameterization scheme is described for calculation of supersaturation in LES models that specifically aims at the simulation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation and prediction of the droplet number concentration. The scheme is tested against current parameterizations in the framework of the Meso-NH LES model. It is shown that the saturation adjustment scheme, based on parameterizations of CCN activation in a convective updraft, overestimates the droplet concentration in the cloud core, while it cannot simulate cloud top supersaturation production due to mixing between cloudy and clear air. A supersaturation diagnostic scheme mitigates these artefacts by accounting for the presence of already condensed water in the cloud core, but it is too sensitive to supersaturation fluctuations at cloud top and produces spurious CCN activation during cloud top mixing. The proposed pseudo-prognostic scheme shows performance similar to the diagnostic one in the cloud core but significantly mitigates CCN activation at cloud top.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 5911-5922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hing Cho Cheung ◽  
Charles Chung-Kuang Chou ◽  
Celine Siu Lan Lee ◽  
Wei-Chen Kuo ◽  
Shuenn-Chin Chang

Abstract. The chemical composition of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the size distribution and number concentration of aerosol particles (NCN), and the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (NCCN) were measured at the northern tip of Taiwan during an intensive observation experiment from April 2017 to March 2018. The parameters of aerosol hygroscopicity (i.e., activation ratio, activation diameter and kappa of CCN) were retrieved from the measurements. Significant variations were found in the hygroscopicity of aerosols (kappa – κ – of 0.18–0.56, for water vapor supersaturation – SS – of 0.12 %–0.80 %), which were subject to various pollution sources, including aged air pollutants originating in eastern and northern China and transported by the Asian continental outflows and fresh particles emitted from local sources and distributed by land–sea breeze circulations as well as produced by processes of new particle formation (NPF). Cluster analysis was applied to the back trajectories of air masses to investigate their respective source regions. The results showed that aerosols associated with Asian continental outflows were characterized by lower NCN and NCCN values and by higher kappa values of CCN, whereas higher NCN and NCCN values with lower kappa values of CCN were observed in the aerosols associated with local air masses. Besides, it was revealed that the kappa value of CCN exhibited a decrease during the early stage of an event of new particle formation, which turned to an increasing trend over the later period. The distinct features in the hygroscopicity of aerosols were found to be consistent with the characteristics in the chemical composition of PM2.5. This study has depicted a clear seasonal characteristic of hygroscopicity and CCN activity under the influence of a complex mixture of pollutants from different regional and/or local pollution sources. Nevertheless, the mixing state and chemical composition of the aerosols critically influence the aerosol hygroscopicity, and further investigations are necessary to elucidate the atmospheric processing involved in the CCN activation in coastal areas.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (13) ◽  
pp. 8845-8861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juntao Wang ◽  
Yanjie Shen ◽  
Kai Li ◽  
Yang Gao ◽  
Huiwang Gao ◽  
...  

Abstract. Determination of the updated concentrations of atmospheric particles (Ncn) and the concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (Nccn) over the northwestern Pacific Ocean (NWPO) are important to accurately evaluate the influence of aerosol outflow from the Asian continent on the climate by considering the rapid changes in emissions of air pollutants therein. However, field observations in the last two decades are scarce. We conducted a cruise campaign over the NWPO to simultaneously measure Ncn, Nccn and the size distribution of aerosol particles from day of year (DOY) 81 to DOY 108 of 2014. The mean values of Nccn at supersaturation (SS) of levels 0.2 % and 0.4 % were 0.68±0.38×103 and 1.1±0.67×103 cm−3, respectively, with an average of 2.8±1.0×103 cm−3 for Ncn during the cruise over the NWPO. All are approximately 1 order of magnitude larger than spring observations made during the preceding two decades in the remote marine atmosphere. The larger values, against the marine natural background reported in the literature, imply an overwhelming contribution from continental inputs. The calculated activity ratios (ARs) of the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) were 0.30±0.11 and 0.46±0.19 at SS levels of 0.2 % and 0.4 %, respectively, which are almost the same as those of upwind semi-urban sites. High Nccn and CCN activities were observed from DOY 98 to DOY 102, when the oceanic zone received even stronger continental input. Excluding biomass burning (BB) and dust aerosols, good correlation between Nccn at 0.4 % SS and the number concentrations of > 60 nm particles (N>60 nm) was obtained during the entire cruise period, with a slope of 0.98 and R2=0.94, and the corresponding effective hygroscopicity parameter (κ) was estimated to be 0.40. A bimodal size distribution pattern of the particle number concentration was generally observed during the entire campaign when the N>90 nm varied largely. However, the N<30 nm, accounting for approximately one-third of the total number concentration, varied narrowly, and two NPF events associated with vertical transport were observed. This implies that a pool of nucleation-mode atmospheric particles is aloft. BB and dust events were observed over the NWPO, but their aerosol contributions to Ncn and Nccn were minor (i.e., 10 % or less) on a monthly timescale.


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