Long-term study of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation of the atmospheric aerosol in Vienna

During a total of 11 months, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN at super-saturation S 0.5%) and condensation nuclei (CN) concentrations were measured in the urban background aerosol of Vienna, Austria. For several months, number size distributions between 13.22?nm and 929?nm were also measured with a scanning mobility particle spectrometer (SMPS). Activation ratios (i.e. CCN/CN ratios) were calculated and apparent activation diameters obtained by integrating the SMPS size distributions. Variations in all CCN parameters (concentration, activation ratio, apparent activation diameter) are quite large on timescales of days to weeks. Passages of fronts influenced CCN parameters. Concentrations decreased with the passage of a front. No significant differences were found for fronts from different sectors (for Vienna mainly north to west and south to east). CCN concentrations at 0.5% S ranged from 160?cm(-3) to 3600?cm(-3) with a campaign average of 820?cm(-3). Activation ratios were quite low (0.02-0.47, average: 0.13) and comparable to activation ratios found in other polluted regions (e.g. Cubison et?al., 2008). Apparent activation diameters were found to be much larger (campaign average: 169?nm, range: (69-370) nm) than activation diameters for single-salt particles (around 50?nm depending on the salt). Contrary to CN concentrations, which are influenced by source patterns, CCN concentrations did not exhibit distinct diurnal patterns. Activation ratios showed diurnal variations counter-current to the variations of CN concentrations.