Optical properties of secondary organic aerosols generated by photooxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons.

ABSTRACT: The refractive index (RI) is the fundamental characteristic that affects the optical properties of aerosols, which could be some of the most important factors influencing direct radiative forcing. The secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) generated by the photooxidation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-xylene (BTEX) under low-NOx and high-NOx conditions are explored in this study. The particles generated in our experiments are considered to be spherical, based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) images, and nonabsorbent at a wavelength of 532 nm, as determined by ultraviolet-visible light (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The retrieved RIs at 532 nm for the SOAs range from 1.38-1.59, depending on several factors, such as different precursors and NOx levels. The RIs of the SOAs are altered differently

SUBMITTER: Li K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4017213 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature