Investigation of alpha-pinene + ozone secondary organic aerosol formation at low total aerosol mass.

We present a method for measuring secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production at low total organic mass concentration (COA) using proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). PTR-MS provides high time resolution measurements of gas-phase organic species and, coupled with particle measurements, allows for the determination of aerosol yield in real time. This approach facilitates the measurement of aerosol production at low COA; in fact aerosol mass fractions can be measured during alpha-pinene consumption as opposed to only at the completion of gas-phase chemistry. The high time resolution data are consistent with both the partitioning theory of Pankow (Atmos. Environ. 1994, 28,185 and 189) and the previous experimental measurements. Experiments including the effect of UV illumination and NOx reveal additional features of alpha-pinene + ozone product photochemistry and volatility. The high time resolution data also elucidate aerosol production from alpha-pinene ozonolysis at COA < 10 microg m(-3) and show that extrapolations of current partitioning models to conditions of low COA significantly underestimate SOA production under dark, low-NOx conditions. However, extrapolations of current models overestimate SOA production under illuminated, higher-NOx conditions typical of polluted regional air masses.