References

ACPD

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions

ACPD

1680-7375

Copernicus GmbH

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/acpd-10-1005-2010

Technical Note: Hygroscopicity distribution concept for measurement data analysis and modeling of aerosol particle hygroscopicity and CCN activity

¹ Rose

¹ Cheng

Y. F.

² Gunthe

S. S.

¹ Massling

² Stock

² Wiedensohler

² Andreae

M. O.

¹ Pöschl

Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55020 Mainz, Germany

Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, 04318 Leipzig, Germany

18 01 2010

10 1 1005 1034

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This paper presents a new concept of hygroscopicity distribution for the analysis and modeling of aerosol particle hygroscopicity and Cloud Condensation Nucleus (CCN) activity. The cumulative particle hygroscopicity distribution function N(κ) is defined as the number concentration of particles with an effective hygroscopicity parameter, κ, smaller than the distribution argument κ. From Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (HTDMA) measurement data, N(κ) can be directly derived by solving the κ-Köhler model equation. Similarly, measured CCN efficiency spectra (activation curves) can also be converted into N(κ), because the CCN measured at a fixed particle diameter and supersaturation (S) can be regarded as those particles with κ larger than a certain threshold value. Unlike studies calculating only one hygroscopicity parameter value from a CCN efficiency spectrum, the concept of N(κ) makes use of the information contained in each point of the spectrum. Model aerosols are used to explain the concept, and exemplary applications are shown with HTDMA and CCN field measurement data.

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