ATMS 564
Atmospheric Aerosols and Multiphase Chemistry

Winter 2006

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General Information

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This course considers the physics and chemistry of atmospheric aerosols. We will focus on the following: aerosol size distributions, particle dynamics, particle formation, gas-aerosol mass transfer, heterogeneous and multiphase chemistry on/in aerosol particles, aerosol optical properties, aerosol-cloud interactions. A theme that connects all of these issues is the impact aerosol particles have on the chemical composition of the atmosphere and the Earth’s climate. After taking this course you will be able to:

· describe a number of important atmospheric aerosol phenomena from the molecular to the global scale.

· critically read current literature on atmospheric aerosol chemistry

· analyze actual atmospheric aerosol size distribution measurements and their impact on gas-aerosol interactions

Instructor: Joel Thornton, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences

Schedule: MW 9:00 AM – 10:20 AM**; 406 ATG Building
^**Watch for announcements about this meeting time

Grading:

Problem Sets (about five in number): 15%
1 Midterm Exam (midterm and final): 30%
Data Analysis Project: 15%

Final Critical Review/NSF-type Proposal: 30%

Participation: 10% Discussions of recent papers

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Contact Information

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Office: 506 ATG Building
Tel: 543-4010
joelt@u.washington.edu
Office hours: to be arranged at the second lecture

Class Web Site: https://faculty.washington.edu/joelt/ATMS_564/

NOTE: Please contact me if you have any questions. Conceptual issues are best handled in person (after class, office hours, or by special appointment).

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Textbooks

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The textbook for the course is:
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Seinfeld and Pandis, John Wiley and Sons

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Lectures

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This is a rough outline for where we are heading. We will cover some topics in more detail than others, and the time frames will be flexible.

Week 1 Aerosol Size Distributions

• Representations and Properties of Number, Area, Mass-Volume Distributions

• Typical Atmospheric Distributions, the log-normal distribution

Week 2 Thermodynamics of Aerosol Particles

• Chemical potential of solutions and solids
• Aerosol liquid water content and phase transitions
• Thermodynamics of H₂SO₄-H₂O and NH₃-HNO₃ systems

Week 3 Single Particle Dynamics

• Intro to Continuum and Non-Continuum Dynamics
• Stoke’s Law, Gravitational Settling
• Particle Diffusion (Brownian Motion)

Week 4 Particle Formation (Nucleation)

• Binary nucleation (H₂SO₄-H₂O)
• Recent results from field studies

Weeks 5-7 Gas-to-Aerosol Mass Transfer and Multiphase Chemistry

• Timescales for gas-to-particle diffusion, aqueous diffusion, aqueous phase reaction
• Mass accommodation and Reactive Uptake
• Sulfur Oxidation, NO_x reactions, Halogen Chemistry

Week 8 Dynamics of Aerosol Populations

• Condensation and Coagulation
• Gas-to-Particle Conversion
• Secondary organic aerosol growth

Weeks 9-10 Aerosol-Cloud-Climate Interactions

• Aerosol Scattering and Absorption Efficiencies
• Effect of Aerosols on Cloud Properties