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    Original Research Papers

    Physical characterization of aerosol particles during nucleation events

    Authors:

    Pasi Aalto ,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Kaarle Hämeri,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Edo Becker,

    University of Sunderland, Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of the Environments, GB
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    Rodney Weber,

    School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, US
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    Jaan Salm,

    Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Tartu, EE
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    Jyrki M. Mäkelä,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Claudia Hoell,

    University of Sunderland, Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of the Environments, GB
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    Colin D. O’dowd,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI; University of Sunderland, Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, School of the Environments, GB
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    Hans Karlsson,

    Institute of Applied Environmental Research, Stockholm University, SE
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    Hans-Christen Hansson,

    Institute of Applied Environmental Research, Stockholm University, SE
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    Minna Väkevä,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Ismo K. Koponen,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Gintautas Buzorius,

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Markku Kulmala

    Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI
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    Abstract

    Particle concentrations and size distributions have been measured from different heights inside and above a boreal forest during three BIOFOR campaigns (14 April–22 May 1998, 27 July–21 August 1998 and 20 March–24 April 1999) in Hyytiälä, Finland. Typically, the shape of the background distribution inside the forest exhibited 2 dominant modes: a fine or Aitken mode with a geometric number mean diameter of 44 nm and a mean concentration of 1160 cm−3 and an accumulation mode with mean diameter of 154 nm and a mean concentration of 830 cm−3. A coarse mode was also present, extending up to sizes of 20 μm having a number concentration of 1.2 cm−3, volume mean diameter of 2.0 μm and a geometric standard deviation of 1.9. Aerosol humidity was lower than 50% during the measurements. Particle production was observed on many days, typically occurring in the late morning. Under these periods of new particle production, a nucleation mode was observed to form at diameter of the order of 3 nm and, on most occasions, this mode was observed to grow into Aitken mode sizes over the course of a day. Total concentrations ranged from 410–45 000 cm−3, the highest concentrations occurring on particle production days. A clear gradient was observed between particle concentrations encountered below the forest canopy and those above, with significantly lower concentrations occurring within the canopy. Above the canopy, a slight gradient was observed between 18 m and 67 m, with at maximum 5% higher concentration observed at 67 m during the strongest concentration increases.

    How to Cite: Aalto, P., Hämeri, K., Becker, E., Weber, R., Salm, J., Mäkelä, J.M., Hoell, C., O’dowd, C.D., Karlsson, H., Hansson, H.-C., Väkevä, M., Koponen, I.K., Buzorius, G. and Kulmala, M., 2001. Physical characterization of aerosol particles during nucleation events. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 53(4), pp.344–358. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v53i4.17127
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      Published on 01 Jan 2001
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 22 Jan 2001            Submitted on 10 May 2000

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