Intercomparison of air ion spectrometers: an evaluation of results in varying conditions

Gagné, S.; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Manninen, H. E.; Nieminen, Tuomo; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Franchin, Alessandro; Yli-Juuti, Taina; Boulon, J.; Sonntag, A.; Mirme, Sander; Mirme, A.; Hõrrak, Urmas; Petäj̈ä, Tuukka; Asmi, Eija; Kulmala, Markku

doi:10.5194/amt-4-805-2011

Cited by 38 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…This suggests that there is tendency for the AIS data to result in somewhat higher GRs than the BSMA data for sub-3 nm particles. Similar difference between GRs obtained from AIS and BSMA was observed in recent calibrations by Gagné et al (2011) using instruments with precisely determined flow rates. For the larger particles there was no significant systematic difference between the instruments (Fig.…”

Section: Comparison Of the Instrumentssupporting

confidence: 58%

Growth rates of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä during 2003−2009: variation with particle size, season, data analysis method and ambient conditions

et al. 2011

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Abstract. The condensational growth rate of aerosol particles formed in atmospheric new particle formation events is one of the most important factors influencing the lifetime of these particles and their ability to become climatically relevant. Diameter growth rates (GR) of nucleation mode particles were studied based on almost 7 yr of data measured during the years 2003-2009 at a boreal forest measurement station SMEAR II in Hyytiälä, Finland. The particle growth rates were estimated using particle size distributions measured with a Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS), a Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer (BSMA) and an Air Ion Spectrometer (AIS). Two GR analysis methods were tested. The particle growth rates were also compared to an extensive set of ambient meteorological parameters and trace gas concentrations to investigate the processes/constituents limiting the aerosol growth. The median growth rates of particles in the nucleation mode size ranges with diameters of 1.5-3 nm, 3-7 nm and 7-20 nm were 1.9 nm h −1 , 3.8 nm h −1 , and 4.3 nm h −1 , respectively. The median relative uncertainties in the growth rates due to the size distribution instrumentation in these size ranges were 25 %, 19 %, and 8 %, respectively. For the smallest particles (1.5-3 nm) the AIS data yielded on average higher growth rate values than the BSMA data, and higher growth rates were obtained from positively charged size distributions as compared with negatively charged particles. For particles larger than 3 nm in diameter no such systematic differences were found. For these particles the uncertainty in the growth rate related to Correspondence to: T. Yli-Juuti (taina.yli-juuti@helsinki.fi) the analysis method, with relative uncertainty of 16 %, was similar to that related to the instruments. The growth rates of 7-20 nm particles showed positive correlation with monoterpene concentrations and their oxidation rate by ozone. The oxidation rate by OH did not show a connection with GR. Our results indicate that the growth of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä is mainly limited by the concentrations of organic precursors.

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Section: Comparison Of the Instrumentssupporting

confidence: 58%

Growth rates of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä during 2003−2009: variation with particle size, season, data analysis method and ambient conditions

et al. 2011

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“…instruments, as was shown by an intercomparison of several NAIS instruments by Gagné et al (2011). Therefore, total particle concentrations in this study are very likely to be overestimated.…”

Section: Measurement Setupmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…NAIS number concentration measurements are subject to uncertainties both for ions and total particles (Asmi et al, 2009;Gagné et al, 2011). However, growth rate analyses are not influenced by the uncertainties in NAIS number concentrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ion – particle interactions during particle formation and growth at a coniferous forest site in central Europe

et al. 2014

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Abstract. In this work, we examined the interaction of ions and neutral particles during atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) events. The analysis is based on simultaneous field measurements of atmospheric ions and total particles using a neutral cluster and air ion spectrometer (NAIS) across the diameter range 2-25 nm. The Waldstein research site is located in a spruce forest in NE Bavaria, Southern Germany, known for enhanced radon concentrations, presumably leading to elevated ionization rates. Our observations show that the occurrence of the ion nucleation mode preceded that of the total particle nucleation mode during all analyzed NPF events. The time difference between the appearance of 2 nm ions and 2 nm total particles was typically about 20 to 30 min. A cross correlation analysis showed a rapid decrease of the time difference between the ion and total modes during the growth process. Eventually, this time delay vanished when both ions and total particles did grow to larger diameters. Considering the growth rates of ions and total particles separately, total particles exhibited enhanced growth rates at diameters below 15 nm. This observation cannot be explained by condensation or coagulation, because these processes would act more efficiently on charged particles compared to neutral particles. To explain our observations, we propose a mechanism including recombination and attachment of continuously present cluster ions with the ion nucleation mode and the neutral nucleation mode, respectively.

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“…51). Previous studies have verified the performance of the NAIS 52,53 . It consists of two differential mobility analysers (DMAs) in parallel.…”

Section: Neutral Cluster and Air Ion Spectrometer (Nais)mentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of low-volatility organic compounds in initial particle growth in the atmosphere

Tröstl

Chuang

Gordon

et al. 2016

Nature

608

729

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About half of present-day cloud condensation nuclei originate from atmospheric nucleation, frequently appearing as a burst of new particles near midday 1 . Atmospheric observations show that the growth rate of new particles often accelerates when the diameter of the particles is between one and ten nanometres 2,3 . In this critical size range, new particles are most likely to be lost by coagulation with pre-existing particles 4 , thereby failing to form new cloud condensation nuclei that are typically 50 to 100 nanometres across. Sulfuric acid vapour is often involved in nucleation but is too scarce to explain most subsequent growth 5,6 , leaving organic vapours as the most plausible alternative, at least in the planetary boundary layer 7-10 . Although recent studies [11][12][13] predict that low-volatility organic vapours contribute during initial growth, direct evidence has been lacking. The accelerating growth may result from increased photolytic production of condensable organic species in the afternoon 2 , and the presence of a possible Kelvin (curvature) effect, which inhibits organic vapour condensation on the smallest particles (the nano-Köhler theory) 2,14 , has so far remained ambiguous. Here we present experiments performed in a large chamber under atmospheric conditions that investigate the role of organic vapours in the initial growth of nucleated organic particles in the absence of inorganic acids and bases such as sulfuric acid or ammonia and amines, respectively. Using data from the same set of experiments, it has been shown 15 that organic vapours alone can drive nucleation. We focus on the growth of nucleated particles and find that the organic vapours that drive initial growth have extremely low volatilities (saturation concentration less than 10 −4.5 micrograms per cubic metre). As the particles increase in size and the Kelvin barrier falls, subsequent growth is primarily due to more abundant organic vapours of slightly higher volatility (saturation concentrations of 10 −4.5 to 10 −0.5 micrograms per cubic metre). We present a particle growth model that quantitatively reproduces our measurements. Furthermore, we implement a parameterization of the first steps of growth in a global aerosol model and find that concentrations of atmospheric cloud concentration nuclei can change substantially in response, that is, by up to 50 per cent in comparison with previously assumed growth rate parameterizations.Two measurement campaigns at the CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) chamber (Methods) focused on aerosol growth with different levels of sulfuric acid and α-pinene oxidation products. With the chamber at 278 K and 38% relative humidity, tropospheric concentrations of α-pinene, ozone (O 3 ) and SO 2 were introduced (see Extended Data Table 1). Using various instruments (Methods and Extended Data Fig. 1) we measured the behaviour of freshly nucleated particles of 1-2 nm diameter and their subsequent growth up to 80 nm. Two chemical ionization mass spectrometers (Methods) using nitrate as th...

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Intercomparison of air ion spectrometers: an evaluation of results in varying conditions

Cited by 38 publications

References 40 publications

Growth rates of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä during 2003−2009: variation with particle size, season, data analysis method and ambient conditions

Growth rates of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä during 2003−2009: variation with particle size, season, data analysis method and ambient conditions

Ion – particle interactions during particle formation and growth at a coniferous forest site in central Europe

The role of low-volatility organic compounds in initial particle growth in the atmosphere

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