Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-11-2024

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

Cloud formation in the Pi Convection-Cloud Chamber is achieved via ionization in humid conditions, without the injection of aerosol particles to serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Abundant ions, turbulence, and supersaturated water vapor combine to produce new particles, which grow to become CCN sized and eventually are activated to form clouds. Coupling between the new particle formation and cloud droplets causes predator-prey type oscillations in aerosol and droplet concentrations under turbulent conditions. Leading terms are identified in the budgets for Aitken and accumulation mode aerosols and for cloud droplets. The cloud coupling is proposed to be a result of cloud-induced runaway CCN production through aerosol scavenging. The experiments suggest potential applications to marine cloud brightening, in which ions rather than sea-salt aerosols are generated.

Publisher's Statement

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfclm/kgae018

Publication Title

Oxford Open Climate Change

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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