Observation of viscosity transition in α-pinene secondary organic aerosol

Emma Jaervinen (Corresponding author), Karoliina Ignatius, Leonid Nichman, Thomas B. Kristensen, Claudia Fuchs, Christopher R. Hoyle, Niko Hoeppel, Joel C. Corbin, Jill Craven, Jonathan Duplissy, Sebastian Ehrhart, Imad El Haddad, Carla Frege, Hamish Gordon, Tuija Jokinen, Peter Kallinger, Jasper Kirkby, Alexei Kiselev, Karl-Heinz Naumann, Tuukka PetajaTamara Pinterich, Andre S. H. Prevot, Harald Saathoff, Thea Schiebel, Kamalika Sengupta, Mario Simon, Jay G. Slowik, Jasmin Troestl, Annele Virtanen, Paul Vochezer, Steffen Vogt, Andrea C. Wagner, Robert Wagner, Christina Williamson, Paul M. Winkler, Chao Yan, Urs Baltensperger, Neil M. Donahue, Rick C. Flagan, Martin Gallagher, Armin Hansel, Markku Kulmala, Frank Stratmann, Douglas R. Worsnop, Ottmar Moehler, Thomas Leisner, Martin Schnaiter

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

Abstract

Under certain conditions, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles can exist in the atmosphere in an amorphous solid or semi-solid state. To determine their relevance to processes such as ice nucleation or chemistry occurring within particles requires knowledge of the temperature and relative humidity (RH) range for SOA to exist in these states. In the Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets (CLOUD) experiment at The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), we deployed a new in situ optical method to detect the viscous state of α-pinene SOA particles and measured their transition from the amorphous highly viscous state to states of lower viscosity. The method is based on the depolarising properties of laboratory-produced non-spherical SOA particles and their transformation to non-depolarising spherical particles at relative humidities near the deliquescence point. We found that particles formed and grown in the chamber developed an asymmetric shape through coagulation. A transition to a spherical shape was observed as the RH was increased to between 35% at-10°C and 80% at-38°C, confirming previous calculations of the viscosity-transition conditions. Consequently, α-pinene SOA particles exist in a viscous state over a wide range of ambient conditions, including the cirrus region of the free troposphere. This has implications for the physical, chemical, and ice-nucleation properties of SOA and SOA-coated particles in the atmosphere.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4423-4438
Number of pages16
JournalAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Volume16
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 103039 Aerosol physics

Keywords

  • LINEAR DEPOLARIZATION RATIO
  • ICE NUCLEATION
  • CLOUD CHAMBER
  • NONSPHERICAL PARTICLES
  • ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOLS
  • OXIDATION-PRODUCTS
  • RELATIVE-HUMIDITY
  • MASS-SPECTROMETRY
  • GLASSY AEROSOLS
  • SOA PARTICLES

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