Aging of biogenic secondary organic aerosol via gas-phase OH radical reactions

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1115186109
• Publication Date: 2012-08-07T02:50:06Z
• Authors: Neil M. Donahue; Kaytlin M. Henry; Thomas F. Mentel; Astrid Kiendler-S...; Christian Spindler; Birger Bohn; Theo Brauers; Hans P. Dorn; Hendrik Fuchs; Ralf Tillmann; Andreas Wahner; Harald Saathoff; Karl-Heinz Naumann; Ottmar Möhler; Thomas Leisner; Lars Müller; Marc-Christopher ...; Thorsten Hoffmann; Kent Salo; Mattias Hallquist; Mia Frosch; Merete Bilde; Torsten Tritscher; Peter Barmet; Arnaud P. Praplan; Peter F. DeCarlo; Josef Dommen; Andre S.H. Prévôt; Urs Baltensperger
• Keywords: Hydroxyl radical; Environmental chamber; Primary (astronomy)

The Multiple Chamber Aerosol Chemical Aging Study (MUCHACHAS) tested the hypothesis that hydroxyl radical (OH) aging significantly increases concentration of first-generation biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA). OH is dominant atmospheric oxidant, and MUCHACHAS employed environmental chambers very different designs, using multiple sources to explore a range chemical conditions potential systematic error. We isolated effect aging, confirming our while observing corresponding changes in SOA properties. mass are consistent with an existing gap between global those predicted models, can be described by mechanism suitable for implementation models.