Heterogeneous nucleation of water vapor on different types of black carbon particles
<p>The heterogeneous nucleation of water vapor on insoluble particles affects cloud formation, precipitation, the hydrological cycle, and climate. Despite its importance, heterogeneous nucleation remains a poorly understood phenomenon that relies heavily on empirical information for its quanti...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/20/13579/2020/acp-20-13579-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>The heterogeneous nucleation of water vapor on insoluble particles affects cloud formation, precipitation, the hydrological cycle, and
climate. Despite its importance, heterogeneous nucleation remains a poorly
understood phenomenon that relies heavily on empirical information for its
quantitative description. Here, we examine the heterogeneous nucleation of water
vapor on different types of soots as well as cloud drop activation of different types of soots, including both pure
black carbon particles and black carbon particles mixed with secondary
organic matter. We show that the recently developed adsorption nucleation
theory quantitatively predicts the nucleation of water and droplet formation
upon particles of the various soot types. A surprising consequence of this
new understanding is that, with sufficient adsorption site density, soot
particles can activate into cloud droplets – even when completely lacking
any soluble material.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |