Articles | Volume 15, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-55-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-55-2015
Research article
 | 
07 Jan 2015
Research article |  | 07 Jan 2015

On the composition of ammonia–sulfuric-acid ion clusters during aerosol particle formation

S. Schobesberger, A. Franchin, F. Bianchi, L. Rondo, J. Duplissy, A. Kürten, I. K. Ortega, A. Metzger, R. Schnitzhofer, J. Almeida, A. Amorim, J. Dommen, E. M. Dunne, M. Ehn, S. Gagné, L. Ickes, H. Junninen, A. Hansel, V.-M. Kerminen, J. Kirkby, A. Kupc, A. Laaksonen, K. Lehtipalo, S. Mathot, A. Onnela, T. Petäjä, F. Riccobono, F. D. Santos, M. Sipilä, A. Tomé, G. Tsagkogeorgas, Y. Viisanen, P. E. Wagner, D. Wimmer, J. Curtius, N. M. Donahue, U. Baltensperger, M. Kulmala, and D. R. Worsnop

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AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
AR by Siegfried Schobesberger on behalf of the Authors (20 Sep 2014)  Author's response   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (22 Sep 2014) by V. Faye McNeill
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (05 Oct 2014)
ED: Publish as is (06 Oct 2014) by V. Faye McNeill
AR by Siegfried Schobesberger on behalf of the Authors (08 Oct 2014)
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Short summary
We used an ion mass spectrometer at CERN's CLOUD chamber to investigate the detailed composition of ammonia--sulfuric acid ion clusters (of both polarities) as they initially form and then grow into aerosol particles, at atmospherically relevant conditions. We found that these clusters’ composition is mainly determined by the ratio of the precursor vapors and ranges from ammonia-free clusters to clusters containing > 1 ammonia per sulfuric acid. Acid--base bindings are a key formation mechanism.
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