Oligomer formation within secondary organic aerosol: equilibrium and dynamic considerations

Abstract

Abstract. We present a model based on the volatility basis set to consider the potential influence of oligomer content on volatility-driven SOA yields. The implications for aerosol evaporation studies, including dilution, chamber thermo-equilibration, and thermodenuder studies are also considered. A simplified description of oligomer formation reproduces essentially all of the broad classes of equilibrium and dynamical observations related to SOA formation and evaporation: significant oligomer content may be consistent with mass yields that increase with organic aerosol mass concentration; reversible oligomerization can explain the hysteresis between the rate of SOA formation and its evaporation rate upon dilution; and the model is consistent with both chamber thermo-equilibration studies and thermodenuder studies of SOA evaporation.