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Insights into the effect of temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) as well as structure and polarisation on ion mobility help the comparison and interpretation of mobility and mass-based data. We measured alkylammonium ions in air under different T (14 °C, 24 °C, 34 °C and 41 °C) and RH (0 %, 20 %, 40 %) conditions using two individual setups (in both cases a planar differential mobility analyser coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer) and the results are in excellent agreement. Mobility increases with rising T and decreases with water vapour loading. When separating the measurement mobility by structures, clear mass dependence was observed. The measured mobilities exhibited large deviations from theoretically calculated results in dry conditions, which are possibly caused by adduct formation on the monomer ions via clustering (or reactions). This phenomenon seems to be unavoidably associated with light ions under atmospheric pressures, which is worth further exploration and bearing in mind when comparing measurements to calculations. Both methanol and oxygen (occasionally nitrogen or alkyl chain elongation) are possible candidates of the adduct. Under spherical assumption, we used the modified Mason–Schamp's approximation to link the measured mobility to the mobility equivalent diameter. The drag enhancement factor and the effective gas-molecule collision diameter derived from our measurement data are comparable to literature values. Our data also exposed a non-linear dependence on the polarisation parameter . Polarisation, and were parameterised using linear models against ion structures, T, and RH for primary, secondary and tertiary alkylammonium ions with identical alkyl groups. Our model parametrisations predict mobilities within ±10 % deviation from the measured data. The model also has satisfying predicting power for alkylammonium ions with unidentical alkyl structures. 

Abstract Isoprene (C₅H₈) is the non-methane hydrocarbon with the highest emissions to the atmosphere. It is mainly produced by vegetation, especially broad-leaved trees, and efficiently transported to the upper troposphere in deep convective clouds, where it is mixed with lightning NO_x. Isoprene oxidation products drive rapid formation and growth of new particles in the tropical upper troposphere. However, isoprene oxidation pathways at low temperatures are not well understood. Here, in experiments at the CERN CLOUD chamber at 223 K and 243 K, we find that isoprene oxygenated organic molecules (IP-OOM) all involve two successive$${{{\rm{OH}}}}^{\bullet}$$ ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\bullet }$oxidations. However, depending on the ambient concentrations of the termination radicals ($${{{{\rm{HO}}}}_{2}}^{\bullet},\,{{{\rm{NO}}}}^{\bullet}$$ ${{\mathrm{HO}}_2}^{\bullet },{\mathrm{NO}}^{\bullet }$, and$${{{\rm{NO}}}}_{2}^{\bullet}$$ ${\mathrm{NO}}_2^{\bullet }$), vastly-different IP-OOM emerge, comprising compounds with zero, one or two nitrogen atoms. Our findings indicate high IP-OOM production rates for the tropical upper troposphere, mainly resulting in nitrate IP-OOM but with an increasing non-nitrate fraction around midday, in close agreement with aircraft observations. 

Abstract Chlorine radicals are strong atmospheric oxidants known to play an important role in the depletion of surface ozone and the degradation of methane in the Arctic troposphere. Initial oxidation processes of chlorine produce chlorine oxides, and it has been speculated that the final oxidation steps lead to the formation of chloric (HClO 3 ) and perchloric (HClO 4 ) acids, although these two species have not been detected in the atmosphere. Here, we present atmospheric observations of gas-phase HClO 3 and HClO 4 . Significant levels of HClO 3 were observed during springtime at Greenland (Villum Research Station), Ny-Ålesund research station and over the central Arctic Ocean, on-board research vessel Polarstern during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of the Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) campaign, with estimated concentrations up to 7 × 10 6 molecule cm −3 . The increase in HClO 3 , concomitantly with that in HClO 4 , was linked to the increase in bromine levels. These observations indicated that bromine chemistry enhances the formation of OClO, which is subsequently oxidized into HClO 3 and HClO 4 by hydroxyl radicals. HClO 3 and HClO 4 are not photoactive and therefore their loss through heterogeneous uptake on aerosol and snow surfaces can function as a previously missing atmospheric sink for reactive chlorine, thereby reducing the chlorine-driven oxidation capacity in the Arctic boundary layer. Our study reveals additional chlorine species in the atmosphere, providing further insights into atmospheric chlorine cycling in the polar environment. 

Abstract Aircraft observations have revealed ubiquitous new particle formation in the tropical upper troposphere over the Amazon^1,2and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans^3,4. Although the vapours involved remain unknown, recent satellite observations have revealed surprisingly high night-time isoprene mixing ratios of up to 1 part per billion by volume (ppbv) in the tropical upper troposphere⁵. Here, in experiments performed with the CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber, we report new particle formation initiated by the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with isoprene at upper-tropospheric temperatures of −30 °C and −50 °C. We find that isoprene-oxygenated organic molecules (IP-OOM) nucleate at concentrations found in the upper troposphere, without requiring any more vapours. Moreover, the nucleation rates are enhanced 100-fold by extremely low concentrations of sulfuric acid or iodine oxoacids above 10⁵ cm⁻³, reaching rates around 30 cm⁻³ s⁻¹at acid concentrations of 10⁶ cm⁻³. Our measurements show that nucleation involves sequential addition of IP-OOM, together with zero or one acid molecule in the embryonic molecular clusters. IP-OOM also drive rapid particle growth at 3–60 nm h⁻¹. We find that rapid nucleation and growth rates persist in the presence of NO_xat upper-tropospheric concentrations from lightning. Our laboratory measurements show that isoprene emitted by rainforests may drive rapid new particle formation in extensive regions of the tropical upper troposphere^1,2, resulting in tens of thousands of particles per cubic centimetre. 

Abstract. While the role of highly oxygenated molecules (HOMs) in new particleformation (NPF) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation is not indispute, the interplay between HOM chemistry and atmospheric conditionscontinues to draw significant research attention. During the Influence ofBiosphere-Atmosphere Interactions on the Reactive Nitrogen budget (IBAIRN)campaign in September 2016, profile measurements of neutral HOMs below andabove the forest canopy were performed for the first time at the borealforest SMEAR II station. The HOM concentrations and composition distributionsbelow and above the canopy were similar during daytime, supporting awell-mixed boundary layer approximation. However, much lower nighttime HOMconcentrations were frequently observed at ground level, which was likely dueto the formation of a shallow decoupled layer below the canopy. Near theground HOMs were influenced by the changes in the precursors and oxidants andenhancement of the loss on surfaces in this layer, while the HOMs above thecanopy top were not significantly affected. Our findings clearly illustratethat near-ground HOM measurements conducted under stably stratifiedconditions at this site might only be representative of a small fraction ofthe entire nocturnal boundary layer. This could, in turn, influence thegrowth of newly formed particles and SOA formation below the canopy where thelarge majority of measurements are typically conducted. 

Intense and frequent new particle formation (NPF) events have been observed in polluted urban environments, yet the dominant mechanisms are still under debate. To understand the key species and governing processes of NPF in polluted urban environments, we conducted comprehensive measurements in downtown Beijing during January–March, 2018. We performed detailed analyses on sulfuric acid cluster composition and budget, as well as the chemical and physical properties of oxidized organic molecules (OOMs). Our results demonstrate that the fast clustering of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and base molecules triggered the NPF events, and OOMs further helped grow the newly formed particles toward climate- and health-relevant sizes. This synergistic role of H2SO4, base species, and OOMs in NPF is likely representative of polluted urban environments where abundant H2SO4 and base species usually co-exist, and OOMs are with moderately low volatility when produced under high NOx concentrations. 

Iodic acid (HIO 3 ) is known to form aerosol particles in coastal marine regions, but predicted nucleation and growth rates are lacking. Using the CERN CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets) chamber, we find that the nucleation rates of HIO 3 particles are rapid, even exceeding sulfuric acid–ammonia rates under similar conditions. We also find that ion-induced nucleation involves IO 3 − and the sequential addition of HIO 3 and that it proceeds at the kinetic limit below +10°C. In contrast, neutral nucleation involves the repeated sequential addition of iodous acid (HIO 2 ) followed by HIO 3 , showing that HIO 2 plays a key stabilizing role. Freshly formed particles are composed almost entirely of HIO 3 , which drives rapid particle growth at the kinetic limit. Our measurements indicate that iodine oxoacid particle formation can compete with sulfuric acid in pristine regions of the atmosphere.