CAREER: Molecular Scale Characterization of Water Adsorption on Surfaces Relevant to Cirrus Cloud Formation

宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Miriam Freedman教授提出的职业发展计划是由国家科学基金会的化学部门的环境化学项目和大气与地球空间科学部的大气化学项目共同资助的。本提案的研究结果将用于确定卷云性质对化学成分的敏感性。此外，在寻求应用表面科学技术来解决大气科学中的问题的同时，该研究的结果也将影响环境、生物和材料科学。因此，来自拟议研究的文章将主要在吸引这些不同读者的期刊上传播。弗里德曼教授在她的研究实验室和课程中致力于本科生和研究生的专业发展。在这两种环境中，她都与学生一起提高他们交流科学的能力。在这个提案中，她将基于她对教授沟通技巧和提高科学素养的兴趣，与科学和传播学本科生合作，开发一门针对中等教育教师的大气化学和云的微型在线课程。在在线课程的基础上，研究者将为教师小组举办夏季研讨会，为课堂开发演示和实验室。这项研究的长期目标是应用表面科学和材料科学的基本思想来推进大气化学领域：1)使用结合光谱和显微镜技术的新方法研究气溶胶颗粒的物理和化学过程；2)探索有机化合物在单晶表面的组织如何影响水和冰在分子尺度上的吸附，并应用于非均相冰成核。拟议研究的结果将用于确定卷云（冰）云性质对化学成分的敏感性。探讨了水在有机分子吸附前后的竞争吸附效果。本研究将使用有机化合物和氧化有机化合物的混合物。Freedman教授设计并建造了一种新型的变温超高真空室，配备了用于研究这些绝缘体材料的仪器。

This CAREER proposal by Professor Miriam Freedman of Pennsylvania State University is co-funded but the Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Chemistry Division and the Atmospheric Chemistry Program in the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division, both at the National Science Foundation. The research results obtained in this proposal will be used to determine the sensitivity of cirrus cloud properties to chemical composition. In addition, while seeking to apply surface science techniques to address questions in the atmospheric sciences, the results of the study will also impact the environmental, biological, and materials sciences. As a result, articles that stem from the proposed studies will be disseminated primarily in journals that will attract these different audiences. Professor Freedman is committed to the professional development of undergraduate and graduate students in her research lab and courses. In both environments, she works with students to enhance their ability to communicate science. In this proposal, she will build on her interest in teaching communication skills and increasing scientific literacy by working with science and communications undergraduates to develop a miniature online course in atmospheric chemistry and clouds aimed at teachers of secondary education. Based on the online course, the investigator will hold summer workshops for groups of teachers to develop demonstrations and labs for the classroom. The long-term goals of the research are to apply fundamental ideas from surface and materials science to advance the field of atmospheric chemistry through 1) investigation of the physical and chemical processing of aerosol particles using novel methods that combine spectroscopy and microscopy techniques and, 2) exploration of how the organization of organic compounds on single-crystal surfaces influences water and ice adsorption on the molecular scale with application to heterogeneous ice nucleation. The results of the proposed studies will be used to determine the sensitivity of cirrus (ice) cloud properties to chemical composition. The effect of competitive adsorption of water before and after adsorption of organic molecules will be explored. Mixtures of organic compounds and oxidized organic compounds will be used in this study. Professor Freedman has designed and built a novel variable temperature ultrahigh vacuum chamber equipped with instrumentation for the study of these insulator materials.