Thermophoresis of Fractal-like Aggregates: Theory and Experiment

Thermophoresis of aerosols has been traditionally studied both theoretically and experimentally for spherical or, more generally, compact isometric particles. This paper compares the theory of thermophoretic motion of fractal-like particles we have developed with experimental data for gas-phase carbon aggregates received under DLCA scenario of their generation. Theoretical results for the thermophoretic velocity are shown to qualitatively and quantitatively agree well with experiment. Possible limitations of the suggested theory and fundamental issues related to the estimation of structural and thermophysical parameters for fractal-like aggregates are discussed. The results can be useful for the physics of atmospheric aerosols in simulating motion of carbonaceous particles with fractal properties.