Libcloudph++ 2.0: Aqueous-phase chemistry extension of the particle-based cloud microphysics scheme

Abstract

This paper introduces a new scheme available in the library of algorithms for representing cloud microphysics in numerical models named libcloudph++. The scheme extends the particle-based microphysics scheme with a Monte Carlo coalescence available in libcloudph++ to the aqueous-phase chemical processes occurring within cloud droplets. The representation of chemical processes focuses on the aqueous-phase oxidation of the dissolved SO2 by O3 and H2O2. The particle-based microphysics and chemistry scheme allows for tracking of the changes in the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) distribution caused by both collisions between cloud droplets and aqueous-phase oxidation. The scheme is implemented in C++ and equipped with bindings to Python. The scheme can be used on either a CPU or a GPU, and is distributed under the GPLv3 license. Here, the particle-based microphysics and chemistry scheme is tested in a simple 0-dimensional adiabatic parcel model and then used in a 2-dimensional prescribed flow framework. The results are discussed with a focus on changes to the CCN sizes and comparison with other model simulations discussed in the literature.