Mathematical form factor studies on the effect of water on airborne particles morphology using a bi-dimensional TEM image processing
Abstract
Mathematical morphology is a tool for extracting image components that are useful for representation and description. The technique consists of a set-theoretic method of image analysis providing a quantitative description of geometrical structures. A simple application of mathematical morphology to a bi-dimensional processing of TEM images of airborne particles allows us to distinguish between particles grown and/or transported in atmosphere under dry conditions or in rainy days by a simple comparison of the corresponding image form factors. The form factors range in the 0.385–0.031 interval in the case of particles sampled in rainy days, and in the 0.103–0.006 interval in the case of non-rainy conditions. The same classification criterion was applied to filters collected under dry conditions and plunged in