• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Rapid Formation of Sulfuric Acid Particles at Near-Atmospheric Conditions
  • Contributor: Berndt, Torsten; Böge, Olaf; Stratmann, Frank; Heintzenberg, Jost; Kulmala, Markku
  • imprint: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2005
  • Published in: Science
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1126/science.1104054
  • ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:p> We investigated the formation of new particles in a laboratory study, starting from H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> SO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> produced in situ through the reaction of OH radicals with SO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> . Newly formed particles were observed for H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> SO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> concentrations above 7 × 10 <jats:sup>6</jats:sup> per cubic centimeter. At 293 kelvin, a rough estimate yielded a nucleation rate of 0.3 to 0.4 particles per cubic centimeter per second for ∼10 <jats:sup>7</jats:sup> particles per cubic centimeter of H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> SO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> (particle size ≥ 3 nanometers). These findings are in agreement with observations from the atmosphere. The results demonstrate that under laboratory conditions similar to the atmosphere, particle formation occurs at atmospheric H <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> SO <jats:sub>4</jats:sub> concentration levels. </jats:p>