Particle Size Magnifier for Fundamental Nucleation Studies

这一建议涉及一种称为成核的大气过程。成核是指空气中的蒸汽分子附着在一起，开始生长成液滴或固体颗粒，最终成为空气中微小的灰尘。成核过程很重要，因为在大气的某些区域，成核过程决定了空气中颗粒的总数，而空气中颗粒本身影响全球气候，并对人类健康产生影响，因为呼吸空气中的颗粒已被证明对健康有害。为了研究成核过程，有必要能够研究与过程开始相关的极其微小的颗粒。目前的颗粒测量仪器无法看到如此小的颗粒，因此需要一种称为“粒度放大器”的设备，在该项目中，计划购买一种最近开发的粒度放大器仪器，并测试其是否适合研究成核的早期阶段。如果它被证明是成功的，那么该仪器将被用于在地下实验室中研究成核，在那里宇宙射线对成核过程的影响是最小的。

This proposal is concerned with an atmospheric process referred to as nucleation. The term nucleation refers to the process where molecules of vapour in the air attach together and begin to grow into liquid droplets or solid particles which ultimately become tiny specs of dust in the air. Nucleation processes are important because in some regions of the atmosphere they determine the overall number of particles in the air which itself influences global climate and has implications for human health as breathing airborne particles has been shown to be detrimental to health. In order to study nucleation processes, it is necessary to be able to investigate extremely tiny particles that are associated with the start of the process. Current particle measurement instruments cannot see particles that are this small and consequently a device known as a "particle size magnifier" is needed, and in this project it is planned to purchase a recently developed particle size magnifier instrument and to test its suitability for studying the early stages of nucleation. If it proves successful, then the instrument would be used to study nucleation in an underground laboratory where the influence of cosmic rays on nucleation processes is minimal.