An empirical approach to the nucleation of sulfuric acid droplets in the atmosphere
We use quantum mechanical evaluations of the Gibbs free energy of the hydrates of sulfuric acid, H2SO4. nH2O and (H2SO4)2 . nH2O to evaluate an empirical surface tension for sulfuric acid-water clusters containing few molecules. We use this surface tension to evaluate nucleation ra...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
2003-06-01
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| Series: | Annals of Geophysics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/view/3406 |
| Summary: | We use quantum mechanical evaluations of the Gibbs free energy of the hydrates of sulfuric acid, H2SO4. nH2O and (H2SO4)2 . nH2O to evaluate an empirical surface tension for sulfuric acid-water clusters containing few molecules. We use this surface tension to evaluate nucleation rates using classical heteromolecular theory. At low temperatures (T 213 K) the nucleation rates obtained with the empirical surface tensions are signifi cantly greater than those using bulk values of the surface tension. At higher temperatures the difference disappears. |
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| ISSN: | 1593-5213 2037-416X |