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Single-particle characterization of ice-nucleating particles and ice particle residuals sampled by three different techniques

  • In the present work, three different techniques are used to separate ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR) from non-ice-active particles: the Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI), which sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals, as well as the combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI), which provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated ones for analysis. The collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine their size, chemical composition and mixing state. Samples were taken during January/February 2013 at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20–70%) of contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH + IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential measurement artifacts (soluble material) occurred (median abundance < 20%). After removal of the contamination particles, silicates and Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types separated by all three techniques. Minor types include soot and Pb-bearing particles. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Lead was identified in less than 10% of the INP/IPR. It was mainly present as an internal mixture with other particle types, but also external lead-rich particles were found. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 μm, while the Ice-CVI also sampled many submicron particles. Probably owing to the different meteorological conditions, the INP/IPR composition was highly variable on a sample to sample basis. Thus, some part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from the (unavoidable) non-parallel sampling. The observed differences of the particles group abundances as well as the mixing state of INP/IPR point to the need of further studies to better understand the influence of the separating techniques on the INP/IPR chemical composition.

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Metadaten
Author:Annette Worringen, Konrad KandlerORCiDGND, Nathalie Benker, Thomas Dirsch, Stephan Weinbruch, Stephan Mertes, Ludwig Schenk, Udo Kästner, Fabian FrankORCiDGND, Björn Nillius, Ulrich BundkeORCiDGND, Diana RoseGND, Joachim CurtiusORCiD, Piotr KupiszewskiORCiDGND, Ernest Weingartner, Johannes Schneider, Susan Schmidt, Martin EbertGND
URN:urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-372309
DOI:https://doi.org/10.5194/acpd-14-23027-2014
ISSN:1680-7375
ISSN:1680-7367
Parent Title (English):Atmospheric chemistry and physics / Discussions
Publisher:European Geosciences Union
Place of publication:Katlenburg-Lindau
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2014/09/08
Date of first Publication:2014/09/08
Publishing Institution:Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Release Date:2015/04/20
Volume:14
Page Number:47
First Page:23027
Last Page:23073
Note:
© Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
HeBIS-PPN:368993221
Institutes:Geowissenschaften / Geographie / Geowissenschaften
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften
Sammlungen:Universitätspublikationen
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0