Nucleation Studies with Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) and Nitrogenous Bases

该项目包括对硫酸及其共反应物水、氨和胺的均相成核进行实验室研究。其目标是：(1)用体源流动反应器测量一系列条件下胺和硫酸形成的颗粒的成核率；(2)表征带有硫酸的光化学源的实验流动反应器，以及在低硫酸浓度下测量少数胺的成核率，(3)开发和使用流动反应器的计算流体动力学(CFD)模拟，以及(4)开发胺源和检测技术的使用。实验室结果将与详细处理团簇化学的CFD模拟进行比较，从而获得酸碱团簇形成的热力学信息。成核作用是大气中新粒子形成的驱动力。新形成的粒子可以作为云的凝结核，因为它们在大气气溶胶对气候的间接影响中发挥了重要作用。该项目的最终目标是测试可以纳入全球气候模型的成核率模型。本科生将参与实验室设备的建设，运行实验，开发数学模型，分析数据，并撰写出版物。

This project involves laboratory investigations of homogeneous nucleation on sulfuric acid and its co-reactants water, ammonia and amines. The objectives are to: (1) measure the nucleation rate of particles formed from amines and sulfuric acid over a range of conditions with a bulk source flow reactor; (2) characterize the experimental flow reactor with a photo-chemical source for sulfuric acid and nucleation rate measurements for a few amines at low sulfuric acid concentrations, (3) develop and use computation fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of the flow reactors, and (4) develop the use of amine sources and detection techniques. The laboratory results will be compared to CFD simulations that treat the cluster chemistry in detail, yielding thermodynamic information for the formation of acid-base clusters.Nucleation is the driving force for new particle formation in the atmosphere. Newly formed particles can serve as cloud condensation nuclei, important for their role in the indirect effect of atmospheric aerosols on climate. The ultimate goal of this project is to test models for nucleation rates that can be incorporated into global climate models. Undergraduate students will participate in the construction of laboratory apparatuses, running experiments, developing mathematical models, analyzing data, and authoring publications.