RUI: Bulk Water Adsorption and Aerosol Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) Activation of Insoluble Aerosol: Toward Experimental Closure and Accurate Model Parameters

该项目将研究矿物尘埃颗粒对大气中云滴形成的作用。目前关于液滴形成的理论还没有包括颗粒表面结构和孔隙率的影响。将使用最先进的实验室技术来量化颗粒表面微结构对大气中水的吸收和云滴形成的影响。这项研究将有助于理解与大气相关的矿物颗粒如何与大气中的水汽相互作用，并改进尘埃-云相互作用的模式以及这些相互作用对天气和气候的影响。研究的具体目标是：(1)作为相对湿度(RH)的函数来量化模型不溶性气溶胶组分上的水吸附；(2)测量同一模型气溶胶组分的尺寸分辨云凝结核(CCN)的激活；(3)应用新的水吸附分析方法来修正表面微结构和孔隙率，以获得更准确的Frenkel Halsey Hill吸附活化理论(FHH-AT)拟合参数；(4)比较表面微结构和孔隙率修正的基于整体水吸附的CCN活化与气溶胶CCN活化测量，以建立两种方法之间的实验闭合；以及(5)指导和教育不同的大气化学本科生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will investigate the role of mineral dust particles on the formation of cloud droplets in the atmosphere. Current theories of droplet formation have not included the influence of particle surface structure and porosity. State-of-the-art laboratory techniques will be used to quantify the effects of particle surface microstructure on the uptake of water and the formation of cloud droplets in the atmosphere. This research will contribute significantly to the current understanding of how mineral particles of atmospheric relevance interact with water vapor in the atmosphere and lead to improved models of dust-cloud interactions and the influence of these interactions on weather and climate.The specific goals of the studies are: (1) to quantify water adsorption on model insoluble aerosol components as a function of relative humidity (RH); (2) to measure size-resolved cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activation of the same model aerosol components; (3) to apply new water adsorption analysis methods to correct for surface microstructure and porosity to obtain more accurate Frenkel Halsey Hill Adsorption Activation Theory (FHH-AT) fit parameters; (4) to compare surface microstructure and porosity-corrected bulk water adsorption-based CCN activation to aerosol CCN activation measurements to establish experimental closure between the two methods; and (5) to mentor and educate a diverse cohort of undergraduate students in atmospheric chemistry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.