Dear Colleagues,

Nucleation in the atmosphere is responsible for the formation of new particles that can subsequently grow to exert a significant impact on the global climate either directly, through the scattering and absorption of solar radiation, or indirectly, by serving as sites for cloud droplet condensation. There is evidence that both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation (including ion induced nucleation) pathways contribute to this process. Nevertheless, significant knowledge gaps remain: new experimental, modeling, and theoretical efforts are needed to better understand and quantify the chemistry of gas-phase particle precursors, the spatial and vertical extent of new particle formation events, and the role of meteorological conditions. Overall, the significance of these effects and their impacts on atmospheric aerosol processes and aerosol–cloud interactions remain largely unconstrained and not well understood.

This Special Issue focuses on this timely topic. We invite contributions from laboratory and field measurements and from theoretical and modeling studies relevant to the effects above, including: atmospheric precursor chemistry, multicomponent homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms, ion-induced nucleation, and growth processes leading to the formation of cloud condensation nuclei. The submission of studies that clarify condensed-phase homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms relating to ice nucleation is also encouraged. Parameterization studies that help bridge the gap between nucleation-related processes and their couplings and impacts on clouds and climate are welcomed, as are theoretical studies geared towards process-level understanding of nucleation mechanisms and their representation in models at different scales.

Dr. Robert L. McGraw
Dr. Chongai Kuang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• atmospheric nucleation
• nucleation theory and measurement
• new particle formation
• vapor condensation on nanoparticles
• ion-induced nucleation
• ice nucleation mechanisms and rates
• chemical precursors to nucleation
• cloud condensation nuclei
• aerosol lifecycle
• impacts on clouds and climate