AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Formation and Aging of Secondary Organic Aerosol during the β-caryophyllene Oxidation
ANTONIOS TASOGLOU, Spyros Pandis, Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract Number: 327 Working Group: Aerosol Chemistry
Abstract β-caryophyllene (C15H24) is a biogenic sesquiterpene which is emitted in the atmosphere in significant quantities and can produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA) after being oxidized. We investigate the (SOA) production during the oxidation of β-caryophyllene using the Carnegie Mellon environmental chamber. Both the initial formation of SOA and the subsequent chemical aging of the products are investigated. Three sets of experiments were conducted with three different oxidants: ozone, hydroxyl radicals, and the combination of both. The ability of β-caryophyllene to form SOA was quantified as a fractional aerosol mass yield. Seed particles were used in some experiments for determining their potential effects on the SOA yields. The potential photo-dissociation of the produced β-caryophyllene SOA was studied by exposing the formed SOA to UV-light for several hours. Oxidation of the SOA was also studied using a HR-ToF-AMS by exposing the particles to high concentrations of hydroxyl radicals. We also investigate the evaporation of β-caryophyllene SOA by heating the chamber to 40 degrees Celcius and by using a thermodenuder. The corresponding volatility distributions of the products and an effective vaporization enthalpy are estimated.