Morphological characterization of soot aerosol particles during LACIS Experiment in November (LExNo)

Combined mobility and aerodynamic measurements were used to characterize the morphology of soot particles in an experimental campaign on the hygroscopic growth and activation of an artificial biomass burning aerosol. A custom-made, single-stage low-pressure impactor and two aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) operating in the free molecular regime were used to measure the vacuum aerodynamic diameter of mobility-selected artificial soot particles that were produced in a spark discharge generator and then modified by condensation of ammonium hydrogen sulfate or levoglucosan as a coating to change their hydroscopic activity. Transmission electron microscope images revealed a relationship between the electrical mobility diameter and the diameter of the enveloping sphere, thus enabling evaluation of the effective density of soot agglomerates. A fractal description of the morphology of the soot aggregates allowed for evaluation of the average mass of the hygroscopic material per particle. The average mass of the hygroscopic material per particle was also measured directly with the two AMS instruments, and the agreement between the two methods was found satisfactory. This tandem approach allows detection of small changes in the particle effective density and morphology caused by condensation of organic material