Funding: Graduate School "Mobility and Climate", INTROP, ACCENT and SCOUT (EU-project)

Objectives: Quantify secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation with special emphasis on low temperature. Investigate mechanisms and corresponding product distributions of selected reaction systems at low temperatures (down to -40oC). Characterise and establish temperature dependence on parameters and properties of SOA:s, for use and implementation in modelling tools, e.g. partitioning coefficients and volatility.

Description: Generally, most of the previous work on SOA has been done at room temperature or higher and the description of the temperature dependence on SOA is derived from theoretical work or based on few studies. This project focuses on low temperature experiments. The reason is two-folded. 1)To apply to ambient atmospheric conditions and usage in aerosol ambient models, there is an obvious need for low temperature information. 2)Using temperature dependence gives insight into the actual mechanisms for SOA formation and will elucidate if existing models include the proper description of SOA formation. The experiments are conducted at low concentrations (few ppb converted). Important properties, such as volatility, CCN ability and hygroscopic growth, will be monitored for the selected experimental conditions. In addition to experiments in the newly built temperature control facility in Göteborg, the collaborative experiments will continue in the smog chamber facilities in Karlsruhe and Jülich.