Experimental study of particle formation by ion-ion recombination

摘要

Aerosol formation initiated by atmospheric ionization has been the subject of intense research for more than a decade because it may explain the observed correlation between galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and Earth’s cloud cover. GCRs are the principal source of the ionization that produces molecular ion pairs above the planetary boundary layer. The primary positive and negative ions undergo ion-molecule reactions with various compounds in the atmosphere to form cluster ions, which are much more stable than neutral clusters of the same composition. Ion-induced nucleation is the process through which cluster ions grow to critical sizes by further condensation of neutral molecules, and this process has been considered to contribute to new atmospheric particle formation.