title: Identification of polymers as major components of atmospheric organic aerosols.
abstract: Results from photooxidation of aromatic compounds in a reaction chamber show that a substantial fraction of the organic aerosol mass is composed of polymers. This polymerization results from reactions of carbonyls and their hydrates. After aging for more than 20 hours, about 50% of the particle mass consists of polymers with a molecular mass up to 1000 daltons. This results in a lower volatility of this secondary organic aerosol and a higher aerosol yield than a model using vapor pressures of individual organic species would predict.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8053 Zurich, Switzerland. kalberer@org.chem.ethz.ch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalberer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paulsen
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authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sax
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authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinbacher
authors.forename: J
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authors.lastname: Dommen
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authors.lastname: Prevot
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authors.lastname: Fisseha
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authors.lastname: Weingartner
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authors.lastname: Frankevich
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authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zenobi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baltensperger