92nd American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (January 22-26, 2012)

Monday, 23 January 2012: 4:00 PM
Effects of Organic Amine Compounds on Atmospheric Aerosol Nucleation and Growth (invited)
Room 244 (New Orleans Convention Center )
Shan-Hu Lee, Kent State University, Kent, OH

Recent field studies and quantum chemical calculations show that organic amine compounds can contribute to atmospheric aerosol nucleation. Amines and ammonia often have common emission sources and similar chemical and physical properties. While the effects of ammonia on aerosol nucleation have been previously investigated, laboratory studies of homogeneous nucleation involving amines are critically lacking. We have conducted kinetics studies of multicomponent nucleation with sulfuric acid, water, ammonia and amines under conditions relevant to the atmosphere. Concentrations of aerosol precursors are measured with chemical ionization mass spectrometers, to provide more constrained precursor conditions needed for nucleation. Particles sizes down to 2 nm are measured with nano-differential mobility analyzer and number concentrations of particles down to 1 nm are measured with particle size magnifier. We will discuss how different amines affect nucleation and growth of sulfuric acid particles. Our results show that these organic and inorganic base compounds should be together taken into account in atmospheric aerosol formation processes.

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