CIF: Single-Particle Measurements of Soot and Incandescing Aerosol

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

This Community Instruments and Facilities (CIF) award makes the single-particle soot photometer (SP2) at Clemson University available to the broader atmospheric science community. The SP2 can be used to measure the mass of black carbon in individual aerosol particles suspended in air. In addition, the advanced capabilities of the SP2 allow direct measurement of black carbon mixing state, or the degree to which black carbon is mixed with other, non-incandescing chemical species, on a single-particle level. Funds awarded for this project will provide support to keep the SP2 in a user-ready state for laboratory studies, airborne field studies, and ground-based field deployments. The SP2 will be requestable by the scientific user community and provided with support to make full use of the soot photometer data. This project also supports outreach activities to reach a broader scientific community, to garner public interest in science, and to increase diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. Black carbon or soot is an important aerosol type found in the atmosphere which is generated from nearly every combustion process, including vehicle engines, factories, and forest or agricultural fires. Soot aerosol is highly absorbing of sunlight, which makes it an important component to understanding local heating, micrometeorology, and long-range, long-term climate. Broader access to the SP2 instrument has the potential to advance knowledge in several topics concerning atmospheric aerosol particles. This award will enhance the ability of the broader scientific community to use the SP2 instrument at Clemson University through the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences facility and instrument request process. 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.