HYGROSCOPIC GROWTH OF AEROSOL-PARTICLES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON NUCLEATION SCAVENGING IN-CLOUD - EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FROM KLEINER-FELDBERG

The hygroscopic growth of individual aerosol particles has been measur ed with a Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser. The hygroscopic growt h spectra were analysed in terms of diameter change with increasing RH from less than or equal to 20% to 85%. The measurements were carried out during the GCE cloud experiment at Kleiner Feldberg, Taunus, Germa ny in October and November 1990. Two groups of particles with differen t hygroscopic growth were observed. The less-hygroscopic group had ave rage growth factors of 1.11, 1.04 and 1.02 for particle diameters of 5 0, 150 and 300 nm, respectively. The more-hygroscopic group had averag e growth factors of 1.34, 1.34, and 1.37 for the same particle diamete rs. The average fraction of less-hygroscopic particles was about 50%. Estimates of the soluble fractions of the particles belonging to the t wo groups are reported. Hygroscopic growth spectra for total aerosol, interstitial aerosol and cloud drop residuals were measured. A compari son of these hygroscopic growths of individual aerosol particles provi des clear evidence for the importance of hygroscopic growth in nucleat ion scavenging. The measured scavenged fraction of particles as a func tion of diameter can be explained by the hygroscopic growth spectra.