Why is the Aerosol particle distribution lognormal?

[ILogtheNormal]

I understand this is primarily a phenomenological law from observations, but is there are reasoning why certain diameters are biased in the aerosol production process? What mechanisms are possible culprits for this biasing?

Thanks!

 

[chemisttree]

Your guess is as good as mine but you might consider that an aerosol's size distribution is skewed toward bigger sizes because either the larger sizes are the source of the smaller particles (soot starts out large and burns up to reach a final size) or that the zeta potential of the smallest particles causes a preferential agglomeration into the larger sizes. Sounds like an interesting project for study.

 

[Huyen401]

There are a few possible reasons for the biasing of certain diameters in the aerosol production process. One possible mechanism is the size and shape of the particles being produced. Different particles may have different physical properties that make them more likely to be produced in certain sizes. Additionally, the production process itself may play a role in biasing certain diameters. For example, if the production process involves a filtering or sieving step, this could result in particles of a certain size being more likely to pass through. Other factors such as temperature, pressure, and chemical composition could also play a role in determining the size of the particles produced. Ultimately, more research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms behind the biasing of certain diameters in aerosol production.