Impact of Bulk-Phase Self-Assembly on Growth and Activation of Aqueous Surfactant Aerosol
Sampo Vepsäläinen, Nønne L. Prisle
TL;DR
This study explores how surfactants in atmospheric droplets self-assemble and affect droplet growth and activation under different humidity conditions.
Contribution
The paper introduces a model combining water activity and Köhler theory to study surfactant self-assembly in atmospheric droplets.
Findings
Surfactant self-assembly has minor effects at cloud droplet activation but major impacts during early droplet growth.
Surfactant aggregates bind sodium ions, reducing their influence on droplet water activity.
Variations in droplet size due to surfactants affect aerosol liquid water content predictions.
Abstract
Surface active compounds (surfactants) have been found in atmospheric aerosols from many environments. In microscopic aqueous droplets, their presence may cause a variety of effects that are challenging to model comprehensively. In this work, we investigate the solute effects of atmospheric surfactant self-assembly to form micelles and small clusters in aqueous droplets. Several water activity models are employed in combination with Köhler theory to represent self-assembly phenomena within the droplet bulk while also accounting for surfactant bulk–surface partitioning. Our results show that surfactant self-assembly has only minor effects at the critical point of cloud droplet activation; however, very significant effects are observed during earlier stages of droplet growth at subsaturated ambient humidities. A major driver is the binding of free sodium counterions to the surfactant…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAtmospheric chemistry and aerosols · Atmospheric aerosols and clouds · Marine and coastal ecosystems