In situ determination of the fractal dimensions of aerosol particles

A review is given of the available in situ methods for the diagnostics of fractal aerosol aggregates, which represent loose branched structures with scaling-invariant geometric characteristics. A new method for in situ determination of the fractal dimensions of particles is proposed: it is based on an analysis of the aerodynamic behaviour of aerosol particles in electric and gravitational fields, and also on the dependence of the particle density in a cluster on the distance from the cluster center, which is typical of fractal objects.