Designer ice nuclei for geoengineering of clouds

国际社会在遏制温室气体排放上升方面的集体失败意味着，我们需要考虑制定后备计划，以避免气候变化带来的最糟糕的潜在影响。已经提出了一些地球工程计划，其中一项涉及修改卷云冰云。薄薄的卷云对地球有净变暖效应，但通过向它们播撒有效的冰核，它们的全球覆盖率可能会减少，从而导致地球降温。迫切需要对基础科学进行研究，这些基础科学将成为此类计划的基础。我们建议进行一项实验室实验研究，以确定在任何未来的云地球工程项目中可以有效、安全和经济地用于成核冰(冰核)的材料。我们的战略是建立在渐近有限公司的经验和专业知识的基础上，他们是生物样本超低温保存领域的冰核专家。我们已经与渐近线建立了合作关系，并与他们一起发表了关于冻结喷气燃料中的水的文章(有关详细信息，请参阅Murray的主管部分)。我们的目标是对多孔材料的冰核形成有一个基本的了解，并利用这一点来设计适合于一系列应用的冰核。学生的主要重点将是识别具有潜在社会效益的地球工程用途的冰核，而渐近有限公司将把同样的基本信息应用于商业领域的冷冻保存。因此，我们将通过这项工作实现社会和经济影响。渐近有限公司最近获得了技术战略委员会的资金，用于识别可能用于冷冻保存的冰核。案例学生将使用在渐近线实验室建立的相同实验来筛选一系列多孔材料，以了解它们在新的冰核理论指导下的成冰能力。然后，我们将把这些相同的样本带回利兹，在那里我们可以量化它们在与大气相关的条件下的冰核效率。除了在大学的研究环境中工作外，案例学生还将在渐近有限公司工作6个月。这将提供一个体验商业研究环境的机会，并将学习地球与环境学院无法提供的技能，如知识产权管理和商业保密的重要性。再加上成核和结晶的基础训练，以及所有利兹学生接受的可转移技能培训，这将使这个人拥有一个非常有竞争力的投资组合。

The collective international failure to curb rises in greenhouse gas emissions means we need to consider back up plans to avoid the worst potential impacts of climate change. A number of geoengineering schemes have been put forward and one of these involves modifying cirrus ice clouds. Thin cirrus clouds have a net warming effect on the planet, but by seeding them with efficient ice nuclei their global coverage could be reduced thus resulting in a cooling of the planet. Research is urgently needed into the basic science that will underpin schemes such as this. We propose a laboratory experimental study to identify materials which could be used to efficiently, safely and cost effectively nucleate ice (ice nuclei) in any future cloud geoengineering projects. Our strategy is to build on the experience and expertise at Asymptote Ltd who are experts in ice nucleation in the field of cryopreservation of biological samples. We already have an established working relationship with Asymptote and have published with them on freezing of water in jet fuel (see Murray's supervisor section for details). Our goal is to develop a fundamental understanding of ice nucleation by porous materials and use this to design ice nuclei which would be ideal for a range of applications. The primary focus of the student will be to identify ice nuclei for geoengineering purposes with potential benefits for society, whereas Asymptote Ltd will apply the same fundamental information to the commercial area of cryopreservation. We will therefore achieve both societal and economic impact with this work. Asymptote Ltd were recently awarded funds from the Technology Strategy Board to identifying ice nuclei which might be used in cryopreservation. This same experimental set up at Asymptote's laboratories will be used by the CASE student to screen a range of porous materials for their ice nucleating ability guided by a new theory of ice nucleation. We will then bring those same samples back to Leeds where we can quantify their ice nucleation efficiency under atmospherically relevant conditions. As well as working in a university research environment the CASE student will also spent a total of 6 months working at Asymptote Ltd. This will provide an opportunity to experience a commercial research environment and will learn skills that the School of Earth and Environment cannot offer such as management of intellectual property and the importance of commercial confidentiality. This combined with training in the fundamentals of nucleation and crystallisation as well as the transferrable skills training all Leeds students receive will give this individual a very competitive portfolio.