A Lagrangian particle-based numerical model for surfactant-laden droplets at macroscales

Atmospheric aerosols can consist of inorganic and organic substances, including surfactants at a significant concentration. Importantly, the latter can reduce the surface tension at the liquid-vapor surfaces, where they preferentially adsorb due to their amphiphilic structure. As a result, processes such as droplet coalescence, development of precipitation, and ultimately cloud lifetime may depend on the presence of surfactants in the aerosols. Here, we present a numerical model for cloud droplet formation, which is based on the Lagrangian particle-based microphysics-scheme superdroplet method and takes into account the presence of the surfactant in the droplets. Our results show that surfactant facilitates cloud formation by increasing the number and size of activated droplets, which concentrate at the bottom of the cloud, while the largest droplets are concentrated at the top of the cloud. This indicates a circulation of droplets that involves activation and growth processes from the bottom of the cloud toward the top. Moreover, our conclusions are independent of the particular approach used for modeling the diffusion of Eulerian variables due to the subgrid-scale turbulence. We anticipate that our results will enrich our understanding of the role of surfactants in the behavior of atmospheric aerosols and, importantly, will pave the way for further developments in the numerical modeling of systems with surfactants at macroscopic scales. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.

Automated summary

Atmospheric aerosols can contain surfactants, which have an influence on cloud droplet formation and cloud lifetime. The presence of surfactant increases the number and size of activated droplets, facilitating cloud formation. This study provides insights into the behavior of atmospheric aerosols and paves the way for further numerical modeling.