The Role of Sulfuric Acid in Atmospheric Nucleation

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1180315
• Publication Date: 2010-03-04T19:53:45Z
• Authors: Mikko Sipilä; Torsten Berndt; Tuukka Petäjä; David Brus; Joonas Vanhanen; Frank Stratmann; Johanna Patokoski; Roy L. Mauldin; Antti-Pekka Hyvär...; Heikki Lihavainen; Markku Kulmala
• Keywords: Particle (ecology); Atmospheric chemistry

Little Things Do Matter Gas-phase sulfuric acid is important during atmospheric particle formation, but the mechanisms by which it forms new particles are unclear. Laboratory studies of binary nucleation with water produce at rates that many orders magnitude too small to explain concentration found in atmosphere. Sipilä et al. (p. 1243 ) now show gas-phase does, fact, undergo presence a rate fast enough account for observed abundance These particles, contain 1 2 molecules each, were not detectable previously, owing their size, diameters as 1.5 nanometers.