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

这个职业项目的重点是描述大气中棕色碳的形成和去向。加州洛杉矶将在几年内对环境中的棕色碳进行测量，并将进行实验室研究，以更好地了解棕色碳在雾和云中的命运。预计该项目将对棕色碳在城市环境中的来源、命运和影响提供重要的见解。这类知识有助于减少有关大气气溶胶对气候强迫的贡献的不确定性。这项研究的目的是(1)确定每小时、每天和每年的时间尺度上硝基芳烃对环境洛杉矶颗粒棕色碳(BRC)的贡献，以及(2)确定雾/云处理过程中的气溶胶老化如何影响水中二次BRC的光学和化学性质。这个项目还提供了一个独特的机会，让本科生利用尖端仪器进行及时的大气研究。

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.