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Theoretical constraints on pure vapor‐pressure driven condensation of organics to ultrafine particles
Author(s) -
Donahue N. M.,
Trump E. R.,
Pierce J. R.,
Riipinen I.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2011gl048115
Subject(s) - nucleation , volatility (finance) , condensation , saturation (graph theory) , range (aeronautics) , gas phase , materials science , ultrafine particle , vapor pressure , chemical engineering , chemical physics , thermodynamics , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , physics , composite material , engineering , mathematics , combinatorics , financial economics , economics
Organic condensation to freshly nucleated particles contributes substantially to their growth. Here we explore a range of constraints on this process, under the assumption that gas‐phase oxidation of organic vapors by hydroxy radical is forming organics with a sufficiently low volatility to condense onto particles in the 2–20 nm size range. To condense but not homogeneously nucleate, vapors need to have saturation concentrations ( C *) in the 10 −3 − 10 −2 μ g m −3 range, and this is exactly the range that gas‐phase chemistry is likely to produce. At least half of the observed growth rate of ultrafine particles can be explained by these simple considerations and constraints.