Deposition of unipolar charged aerosol particles by mutual repulsion

Abstract

A simple theory of the deposition of unipolar charged aerosols by their mutual repulsion is developed. The application of this theory enables the average radius and the average charge of the particles to be determined from measurements of the mass of smoke deposited on metal surfaces and the charge given up by the particles. This new method offers a means of determining the rate of coagulation of unipolar charged aerosols. Experiments with wood smokes indicate that the simple theory of deposition is correct. The calculated average radius of the wood smoke particles examined compares favourably with that determined from measurement of the optical density and mass concentration of the smoke. The charge determined by the new method is consistent with that calculated on the basis of corona charging theory.