AGS-PRF: Constraining and Modeling the Contribution of Organic Nitrate to Fine Mode Particulate Matter

有机硝酸盐是细颗粒物（PM2.5）的主要来源，影响地球的辐射平衡、能见度、环境和人类健康。然而，这种颗粒有机硝酸盐的大气形成途径尚不明确。在目前的项目中，将综合和分析过去实地活动收集的数据，以确定PM2.5中颗粒有机和无机硝酸盐的浓度。这些数据将用于约束当前大气化学模型中的形成机制，这将有助于指导未来的研究，改进PM2.5的预测建模，并为氮预算模型提供信息。高分辨率飞行时间气溶胶质谱仪（HR-ToF-AMS）在2009年至2016年期间在美国进行的15次野外活动中获得的数据将用于颗粒有机和总硝酸盐。为了测试和验证有机和无机硝酸盐形成的机制，将进行时间和空间匹配的三维大气化学输送（GEOS-Chem）模型模拟，并与观测到的浓度进行比较。新的数据集将公开供其他团体使用，以指导未来的研究，并帮助限制GEOS-Chem社区以外的区域和全球模型。PI将作为麻省理工学院的博士后研究员开展这项工作，同时吸引不同的本科生参与研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Organic nitrate is a major contributor to fine particular matter (PM2.5) that affects Earth’s radiative balance, visibility, and environmental and human health. Atmospheric formation pathways of this particulate organic nitrate are ill-defined, however. In the current project, data collected during past field campaigns will be synthesized and analyzed to determine particulate organic and inorganic nitrate concentrations in PM2.5. This data will be used to constrain formation mechanisms in current atmospheric chemistry models which will help guide future research, improve predictive modeling of PM2.5, and inform nitrogen budget models.Data obtained with High-Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometers (HR-ToF-AMS) during 15 US field campaigns between 2009 and 2016 will be exploited for particulate organic and total nitrate. To test and validate mechanisms of organic and inorganic nitrate formation, temporally and spatially matched 3-D atmospheric chemistry transport (GEOS-Chem) model simulations will be performed and compared with observed concentrations. The new dataset will be made publicly available for use by other groups to guide future studies and help constrain regional and global models beyond the GEOS-Chem community. The PI will perform this work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology while engaging diverse undergraduate students in research.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.