NIRT: Clusters to Nanoparticles: Implications for Atmospheric Nucleation

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This project will attempt to experimentally elucidate the chemical and physical processes responsible for the formation of stable nuclei in the atmosphere, and to develop more realistic models for atmospheric particle nucleation. The approach depends on the development and refinement of two instrumental systems, a cluster chemical ionization mass spectrometer system and a nanoparticle scanning mobility spectrometer. These instruments will be used to measure the chemical composition of large, newly-nucleated clusters up to 1000 atomic mass units in size with a mass spectrometer. The instruments will simultaneously measure particle size distributions in the nano-particle range down to one nanometer, and physicochemical properties.The results of this research are expected to help address broad issues relating to the earth's albedo and radiation balance affected by aerosols at various altitudes in the atmosphere. Both instrument development and new insights in the formulation of nucleation phenomena will benefit other areas of nanoscale science. Students at both the graduate and undergraduate level will gain experience from this research activity.