Theoretically, coatings of essentially non-absorbing components such as organic
carbon or sulphate on
strongly absorbing core components such as
black carbon can increase the absorption of the composite
aerosol (e.g., Fuller et al., 1999; Jacobson, 2001a; Stier et al., 2006a), with results backed up by laboratory studies (e.g., Schnaiter et al., 2003).