Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 6 3 2006 10.5194/acpd-6-3845-2006 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/6/3845/2006/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/6/3845/2006/acpd-6-3845-2006.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/6/3845/2006/acpd-6-3845-2006.pdf 3845 3882 2006-05-15 Atmospheric sulphuric acid and aerosol formation: implications from atmospheric measurements for nucleation and early growth mechanisms S.-L. Sihto M. Kulmala V.-M. Kerminen M. Dal Maso T. Petäjä I. Riipinen H. Korhonen F. Arnold R. Janson M. Boy A. Laaksonen K. E. J. Lehtinen University of Helsinki, Department of Physical Sciences, P.O. Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland Finnish Meteorological Institute, Climate and Global Change, Erik Palmenin Aukio 1, P.O. Box 503, 00101 Helsinki, Finland Atmospheric Physics Division, Max-Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), P.O. Box 103980, 69029 Heidelberg, Germany University of Stockholm, Department of Applied Environmental Science, Air Pollution Laboratory, Frescativägen 54, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden University of Kuopio, Department of Applied Physics, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland Finnish Meteorological Institute and University of Kuopio, Department of Applied Physics, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland We have investigated the formation and early growth of atmospheric secondary aerosol particles building on atmospheric measurements. The measurements were part of the QUEST 2 campaign which took place in spring 2003 in Hyytiälä (Finland). During the campaign numerous new aerosol particle formation events occurred of which 15 were accompanied by gaseous sulphuric acid measurements. Our detailed analysis of these 15 events is focussed on nucleation and early growth (to a diameter of 3 nm) of fresh particles. It revealed that new particle formation seems to be a function of the gaseous sulphuric acid concentration to the power from one to two. The former would be consistent with the recently developed activation theory while the latter would be consistent with the kinetic nucleation theory. We find that some events are dominated by the activation mechanism and some are dominated by the kinetic mechanism. Inferred coefficients for the two nucleation mechanisms are correlated with the product of gaseous sulphuric acid and ammonia concentrations. This indicates that besides gaseous sulphuric acid also ammonia has a role in nucleation. Early growth of fresh particles to a diameter of 3 nm has a mean rate of 1.2 nm/h and is clearly correlated with the gaseous sulphuric acid concentration.