Model studies on the effect of nitric acid vapour on cirrus cloud activation

The effect of elevated nitric acid concentrations on cloud particle number concentrations and sizes of mixed phase cirrus cloud (containing both supercooled liquid and frozen ice particles) is studied using a detailed multicomponent condensation model. Our model calculations suggest that high nitric acid volume mixing ratios (VMRs), corresponding to upper tropospheric measurements, can increase the ice crystal number concentrations substantially especially in the case of freezing of non-activated solution droplets (as opposed to freezing of supercooled cloud droplets). This is due to increased droplet sizes caused by nitric acid absorption and the resulting uptake of water.