Articles | Volume 16, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4885-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-4885-2023
Research article
 | 
26 Oct 2023
Research article |  | 26 Oct 2023

Acoustic levitation of pollen and visualisation of hygroscopic behaviour

Sophie A. Mills, Adam Milsom, Christian Pfrang, A. Rob MacKenzie, and Francis D. Pope

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Cited articles

Andrade, M. A. B., Pérez, N., and Adamowski, J. C.: Review of Progress in Acoustic Levitation, Braz. J. Phys., 48, 190–213, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13538-017-0552-6, 2018. 
Andreae, M. O. and Rosenfield, D.: Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions. Part 1. The Nature and Sources of Cloud-Active Aerosols, Earth-Sci. Rev., 89, 13–41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.03.001, 2008. 
Božič, A. and Šiber, A.: Mechanics of inactive swelling and bursting of porate pollen grains, Biophys. J., 121, 782–792, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2022.01.019, 2022. 
Bunderson, L. and Levetin, E.: Hygroscopic weight gain of pollen grains from Juniperus species, Int. J. Biometeorol., 59, 533–540, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0866-9, 2015. 
Cecchi, L., Scala, E., Caronni, S., Citterio, S., and Asero, R.: Allergenicity at component level of sub-pollen particles from different sources obtained by osmolar shock: A molecular approach to thunderstorm-related asthma outbreaks, Clin. Exp. Allergy, 51, 253–261, https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.13764, 2021. 
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Short summary
Pollen grains are important components of the atmosphere and have the potential to impact upon cloud processes via their ability to help in the formation of rain droplets. This study investigates the hygroscopicity of two different pollen species using an acoustic levitator. Pollen grains are levitated, and their response to changes in relative humidity is investigated. A key advantage of this method is that it is possible study pollen shape under varying environmental conditions.
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