Molecular identification of organic vapors driving atmospheric nanoparticle growth

Claudia Mohr (), Joel A. Thornton (), Arto Heitto, Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker, Anna Lutz, Ilona Riipinen, Juan Hong, Neil M. Donahue, Mattias Hallquist, Tuukka Petäjä, Markku Kulmala and Taina Yli-Juuti ()
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Claudia Mohr: Stockholm University
Joel A. Thornton: University of Washington
Arto Heitto: University of Eastern Finland
Felipe D. Lopez-Hilfiker: University of Washington
Anna Lutz: University of Gothenburg
Ilona Riipinen: Stockholm University
Juan Hong: University of Helsinki
Neil M. Donahue: Carnegie Mellon University
Mattias Hallquist: University of Gothenburg
Tuukka Petäjä: University of Helsinki
Markku Kulmala: University of Helsinki
Taina Yli-Juuti: University of Eastern Finland

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Particles formed in the atmosphere via nucleation provide about half the number of atmospheric cloud condensation nuclei, but in many locations, this process is limited by the growth of the newly formed particles. That growth is often via condensation of organic vapors. Identification of these vapors and their sources is thus fundamental for simulating changes to aerosol-cloud interactions, which are one of the most uncertain aspects of anthropogenic climate forcing. Here we present direct molecular-level observations of a distribution of organic vapors in a forested environment that can explain simultaneously observed atmospheric nanoparticle growth from 3 to 50 nm. Furthermore, the volatility distribution of these vapors is sufficient to explain nanoparticle growth without invoking particle-phase processes. The agreement between observed mass growth, and the growth predicted from the observed mass of condensing vapors in a forested environment thus represents an important step forward in the characterization of atmospheric particle growth.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12473-2

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