A Particle-Resolved Aerosol Model of Soot Aging

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this project is to develop a new, highly detailed aerosol model and use it to study the aging of soot in the atmosphere. This particle resolved model (PartMC) will explicitly resolve and track the size and composition of individual particles as they undergo transformations by coagulation and condensation in the atmosphere. The model spreads the aerosol size distribution over a finite number of Monte Carlo particles and allows them to evolve using the appropriate probabilities for coagulation, along with deterministic processes such as condensation. Freshly emitted particles or particles formed via homogeneous nucleation are initially externally mixed, but can be transferred into an internal mixture by coagulation, condensation or photochemical processes, collectively known as aging. This work will improve the theoretical understanding of aerosol mixing state representations, quantify errors resulting from parameterizations of aging in regional and global models, and help to develop better models and parameterizations of aerosol aging. An improved understanding of aerosol processes through this research will help to reduce uncertainties in climate models. Undergraduates will be integrated into the project and the participation of women and minorities in research will be actively encouraged. All computer codes will be licensed under an open source license to foster use by the atmospheric science community.