PNNL

Abstract

A new Thermal Gradient ice nucleation Diffusion Chamber (TGDC) capable of investigating ice nucleation efficiency of atmospherically important aerosols, termed Ice Nuclei (IN), has been designed, constructed and validated. The TGDC can produce a range of supersaturations with respect to ice (SSi) over the temperature range of -10 to -34°C for sufficiently long time needed to observe the nucleation by the particles. The aerosol particles under examination were supported on a Teflon substrate and nucleation events observed using digital photography. The TGDC consists of two ice coated plates to which a thermal gradient is applied to produce the range of SSi. The ability to understand time-related ice nucleation event information and to perform experiments at different temperatures and SSi conditions for different IN without changing the thermal gradient makes the TGDC a unique ice nucleation chamber. The SSi and temperature conditions of the experimental system are validated by observing (NH4)2SO4 deliquescence and the results are in good agreement with the literature data. The design details of the TGDC along with the experimental set-up, the experimental procedure and its usefulness in understanding ice nucleation processes of dust particles are presented. The ice nucleation investigations using different particles are needed to better quantify the role of ice formation in the atmosphere.