Nanodroplet aerosols: Nucleation rates and structure

Ohio State University Research Foundation -Do Not Use, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

This award, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, supports the research of Prof. Barbara Wyslouzil and her students at The Ohio State University. The goals of this experimental program are to measure the formation rates and the structure of nanodroplets. Nanometer-sized droplets form by vapor condensation in both ambient and industrial environments, and are crucial elements in many health, environmental, and industrial challenges. Accurately predicting the rate at which these phase transitions occur and the structure of the final droplets are critical for developing reliable models of industrial processes, climate, and atmospheric chemistry. The results stemming from this work are of interest to researchers in nucleation, aerosol science, cloud physics, and materials science. The project provides a rich research environment for undergraduate and graduate students that is highly interdisciplinary and that builds on a longstanding international collaboration. A community outreach effort to bring clouds into the classrooms of both home schooled and public school students is also planned.