Analysis of experiments on ion-induced nucleation and aerosol formation in the presence of UV light and ionizing radiation

Abstract

Under typical atmospheric conditions, sulfuric acid and water vapors are likely most important species in the nucleation of new aerosol particles. The main source of H2SO4 in the atmosphere is oxidation of SO2. Hence, an understanding of the subsequent chemical reactions followed by aerosol-particles formation is of fundamental importance. Here we analyze the results of laboratory experiments in Svensmark et al. (2007) in which (i) the formation of neutral aerosol particles was observed at reported sulfuric acid concentrations well below the range where the binary homogeneous nucleation in a mixture of H2SO4-H2O vapors could be important and (ii) an electron catalytic effect on particle nucleation was suggested as an explanation of the experimental results and as a potential source of aerosol-particles formation in the Earth's atmosphere. In the article we give an interpretation of these experimental data based on a known mechanism of the neutral particles formation via ion-induced nucleation followed by recombination of charged clusters. The main results of our investigation are the following: (i) the observed neutral particles were likely formed via the recombination of ion clusters; (ii) the phenomena of electron photodetachment from ion clusters under UV radiation was improbable in conditions of this experiment and likely unrealized for typical negative ion clusters found in the Earth's atmosphere. In total, these experiments and model investigations show that far more and specially directed laboratory experiments are needed to clarify the ways by which cosmic rays and solar radiation may link to the Earth's climate. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.