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Lab Studies

We complent our field studies with lab studies to answer a very broad range of questions. Thus, we design lab experiments to help understand the complex chemistry aerosol particles undergo in the atmosphere.  We can obtain both mass spectra, size distributions, and gas phase measurements depending on the purpose of the experiment        

Examples of lab experiments:

  • Reacting dust particles with secondary inorganic species               
  • Coating elemental carbon particles with organic carbon
  • Aerosol formation from bubble bursting processes in the ocean
  • Synthesizing and characterizing light absorbing organic aerosol material

Instrument development is also an important element of our laboratory-based work.

Our group is involved with the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment (CAICE), which is an NSF Phase I Center for Chemical Innovation started in the Fall 2010.

Our group has also measured pharmaceutical related aerosols (inhalers), petroleum based particles (various oil and fuel formulations), cigarette smoke, meat cooking, welding fumes, metallic nanoparticles (iron, gold and silver), single cancer cells, etc…

Flow-tube set-up