CAREER: Aerosol Properties and Effects through Organic Aerosol Characterization, Integrated Analysis of Multi-Instrument Data, and Aerosol-Cloud Nucleation Closure

气溶胶对气候、能见度、人类健康以及酸、有毒和营养物质的沉积都有重要影响。这个职业项目的研究目标是为了更好地了解气溶胶过程、化学和微物理。通过进一步开发PI的小组最近为分析Aerodyne气溶胶质谱仪(AMS)数据而开发的有机气溶胶分离和量化程序，有机气溶胶成分将得到更好的表征和量化。该方法将系统地应用于多个小组在全球范围内获得的AMS测量，并将分析所观测到的有机气溶胶的类型和来源。此外，通过进一步扩展最近开发的用于综合分析多台仪器数据的软件系统，将获得对气溶胶性质的更完整的表征。此外，还将尝试从气溶胶性质(“闭合”)预测云凝结核(CCN)，方法是用云凝结核(CCN)的测量来加强正在进行的场活动；使用修正的Kohler理论和测量结果来预测CCN，并系统地分析预测和测量的CCN之间所达到的闭合程度。该项目将利用支持基本实地测量和分析的其他方案的资源，并允许PI执行CCN测量和更深层次的分析，而不是利用单个实地活动所能获得的有限资源。这一科学计划的更广泛的影响在于提供急需的关于有机气溶胶和亚微米气溶胶气候效应的信息，这些信息可以为科学评估和决策提供参考；改善对AMS及其有机数据的表征，这将使目前使用它的许多其他研究小组受益。这一职业计划的教育目标是：通过参加教学培训计划向K-12教师宣传；让少数本科生参与研究；开发交互式本科环境化学课程；开发大气化学课程的实验部分；研究生研究方面的培训，有机会指导和参与实地考察、国际和工业活动。

Aerosols have important effects on climate, visibility, human health, and acid, toxic, and nutrient deposition. The research objectives of this CAREER project address the need for a better understanding of aerosol processes, chemistry, and microphysics. The organic aerosol component will be better characterized and quantified by further developing the organic aerosol separation and quantification procedure recently developed by the PI's group for analyzing Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS) data. This method will be systematically applied to worldwide AMS measurements obtained by many groups, and the types and origins of organic aerosols observed will be analyzed. In addition, a more complete characterization of the aerosol properties will be obtained by further extending a recently developed software system for integrated analysis of multi-instrument data. Furthermore, prediction of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) from the aerosol properties ("closure") will be attempted by augmenting ongoing field campaigns with CCN measurements; using modified Kohler theories and measurement results to predict CCN, and systematically analyzing the degree of closure achieved between predicted and measured CCN. This project will leverage resources from other programs that will support the basic field measurements and analysis, and allow the PI to perform CCN measurements and a much deeper level of analysis than possible with the limited resources obtainable for individual field campaigns. The broader impacts of this scientific program lie in furnishing critically needed information on organic aerosols and submicron aerosol climatic effects that can inform scientific assessments and, through them, policy decisions; and an improved characterization of the AMS and its organic data, which will benefit the many other research groups currently using it.The education objectives of this CAREER program are: outreach to K-12 teachers by participation in a teaching training program; participation of minority undergraduate students in research; development of an interactive undergraduate environmental chemistry course; development of an experimental component for an atmospheric chemistry course; graduate student training in research with opportunities for mentoring and involvement in fieldwork, international, and industrial activities.