Modeling of secondary organic aerosol yields from laboratory chamber data

Laboratory chamber data serve as the basis for constraining models of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Current models fall into three categories: empirical two-product (Odum), product-specific, and volatility basis set. The product-specific and volatility basis set models are applied here...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: M. N. Chan, A. W. H. Chan, P. S. Chhabra, J. D. Surratt, J. H. Seinfeld
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2009-08-01
Series:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Online Access:http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/9/5669/2009/acp-9-5669-2009.pdf
Description
Summary:Laboratory chamber data serve as the basis for constraining models of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. Current models fall into three categories: empirical two-product (Odum), product-specific, and volatility basis set. The product-specific and volatility basis set models are applied here to represent laboratory data on the ozonolysis of α-pinene under dry, dark, and low-NO<sub>x</sub> conditions in the presence of ammonium sulfate seed aerosol. Using five major identified products, the model is fit to the chamber data. From the optimal fitting, SOA oxygen-to-carbon (O/C) and hydrogen-to-carbon (H/C) ratios are modeled. The discrepancy between measured H/C ratios and those based on the oxidation products used in the model fitting suggests the potential importance of particle-phase reactions. Data fitting is also carried out using the volatility basis set, wherein oxidation products are parsed into volatility bins. The product-specific model is most likely hindered by lack of explicit inclusion of particle-phase accretion compounds. While prospects for identification of the majority of SOA products for major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) classes remain promising, for the near future empirical product or volatility basis set models remain the approaches of choice.
ISSN:1680-7316
1680-7324