Abstract. The condensational growth rate of aerosol particles formed in atmospheric new particle formation events is one of the most important factors influencing the lifetime of these particles and their ability to become climatically relevant. Diameter growth rates (GR) of nucleation mode particles were studied based on almost 7 yr of data measured during the years 2003-2009 at a boreal forest measurement station SMEAR II in Hyytiälä, Finland. The particle growth rates were estimated using particle size distributions measured with a Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS), a Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer (BSMA) and an Air Ion Spectrometer (AIS). Two GR analysis methods were tested. The particle growth rates were also compared to an extensive set of ambient meteorological parameters and trace gas concentrations to investigate the processes/constituents limiting the aerosol growth. The median growth rates of particles in the nucleation mode size ranges with diameters of 1.5-3 nm, 3-7 nm and 7-20 nm were 1.9 nm h −1 , 3.8 nm h −1 , and 4.3 nm h −1 , respectively. The median relative uncertainties in the growth rates due to the size distribution instrumentation in these size ranges were 25 %, 19 %, and 8 %, respectively. For the smallest particles (1.5-3 nm) the AIS data yielded on average higher growth rate values than the BSMA data, and higher growth rates were obtained from positively charged size distributions as compared with negatively charged particles. For particles larger than 3 nm in diameter no such systematic differences were found. For these particles the uncertainty in the growth rate related to Correspondence to: T. Yli-Juuti (taina.yli-juuti@helsinki.fi) the analysis method, with relative uncertainty of 16 %, was similar to that related to the instruments. The growth rates of 7-20 nm particles showed positive correlation with monoterpene concentrations and their oxidation rate by ozone. The oxidation rate by OH did not show a connection with GR. Our results indicate that the growth of nucleation mode particles in Hyytiälä is mainly limited by the concentrations of organic precursors.

This review is based on ca. 250 publications, from which 92 published data on the temporal and spatial variation of the concentration of small ions (<1.6 nm in diameter) in the atmosphere, chemical composition, or formation and growth rates of sub-3 nm ions. The small ions exist all the time in the atmosphere, and the average concentrations of positive and negative small ions are typically 200–2500 cm⁻³. However, concentrations up to 5000 cm⁻³ have been observed. The results are in agreement with observations of ion production rates in the atmosphere. Concentrations of small ions increased in the early morning hours due to night time inversion, which leads to accumulation of radon. We also summarised observations on the conversion of small ions to intermediate ions, which can act as embryos for new atmospheric aerosol particles. Those observations include the formation rates (<i>J</i>₂[ion]) of 2-nm intermediate ions, growth rates (GR[ion]) of sub-3 nm ions, and information on the chemical composition of the ions. Unfortunately, there were only a few studies which presented <i>J</i>₂[ion] and GR[ion]. Based on the publications, the formation rates of 2-nm ions were 0–1.1 cm⁻³ s⁻¹, while the total 2-nm particle formation rates varied between 0.001 and 60 cm⁻³ s⁻¹. The ion-mediated processes were observed to dominate when the total particle formation rates were small, and, accordingly the importance of ion-induced mechanisms decreased with increasing total 2-nm particle formation rates. Furthermore, small ions were observed to activate for growth earlier than neutral nanometer-sized particles and at lower saturation ratio of condensing vapours

Abstract. We evaluated 11 air ion spectrometers from Airel Ltd. after they had spent one year in field measurements as a part of the EUCAARI project: 5 Air Ion Spectrometers (AIS), 5 Neutral cluster and Air Ion Spectrometers (NAIS) and one Airborne NAIS (ANAIS). This is the first time that an ANAIS is evaluated and compared so extensively. The ion spectrometers' mobility and concentration accuracy was evaluated. Their measurements of ambient air were compared between themselves and to reference instruments: a Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS), a Balanced Scanning Mobility Analyzer (BSMA), and an Ion-DMPS. We report on the simultaneous measurement of a new particle formation (NPF) event by all 11 instruments and the 3 reference instruments. To our knowledge, it is the first time that the size distribution of ions and particles is measured by so many ion spectrometers during a NPF event.The new particle formation rates (∼0.2 cm −3 s −1 for ions and ∼2 cm −3 s −1 for particles) and growth rates (∼25 nm h −1 in the 3-7 nm size range) were calculated for all the instruments. The NAISs and the ANAIS gave higher concentrations and formation rates than the AISs. For example, the AISs agreed with the BSMA within 11 % and 28 % for negative and positive ion concentration respectively, whereas the NAISs agreed within 23 % and 29 %. Finally, based on the results presented here, we give guidelines for data evaluation, when data from different individual ion spectrometers are compared.