CAREER: Quantifying the Formation and Persistence of Brown Carbon Compounds Through Observational and Laboratory Studies

这个CAREER项目的重点是描述大气中棕色碳的形成和命运。加州洛杉矶将在数年内对环境中的棕色碳进行测量，并进行实验室研究，以更好地了解雾和云中棕色碳的命运。该项目有望对城市环境中棕色碳的来源、命运和影响提供重要的见解。这些知识可以帮助减少关于大气气溶胶对气候强迫的贡献的不确定性。本研究的目的是：(1)确定每小时、每天和每年时间尺度上硝基芳烃对洛杉矶环境颗粒物棕色碳（BrC）的贡献；(2)确定雾/云处理过程中的气溶胶老化如何影响水中次生BrC的光学和化学性质。该项目还提供了一个独特的机会，使本科生能够及时使用尖端仪器进行大气研究。

This CAREER project is focused on characterizing the formation and fate of brown carbon in the atmosphere. Ambient measurements of brown carbon will be made in Los Angeles CA over several years and laboratory studies will be conducted to better understand the fate of brown carbon in fog and clouds. The project is expected to add important insights into the sources, fate, and impact of brown carbon in the urban environment. Such knowledge could help reduce uncertainty in regards to the contribution of atmospheric aerosol to climate forcing. The objectives of the research are to (1) Determine the contribution of nitro-aromatics to ambient Los Angeles particulate brown carbon (BrC) over hourly, daily, and yearly time scales, and (2) Determine how aerosol aging during fog/cloud processing impacts aqueous secondary BrC optical and chemical properties. This project also presents a unique opportunity to engage undergraduates in timely atmospheric research with cutting-edge instrumentation.