Analytical Chemistry Seminar
November
7
Mon
2016
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Open to Public
Analytical & Environmental Chemistry Division and Atmospheric Chemistry Program Seminar
Jointly sponsored by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, CIRES, and the Environmental Program
Exploring the Evolution of Biomass-Burning Aerosol in Chambers and the Atmosphere
by Jeff Pierce, Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University
I will discuss theoretical work on the evolution of biomass-burning organic aerosol in smog chambers and in ambient plumes that shows: (1) vapor wall losses appear to matter greatly in smog-chamber oxidation experiments of biomass-burning aerosol, and (2) differences in fire size and meteorology might impact the organic aerosol (and aerosol size distribution) evolution in ambient plumes as much as differences in emission factors or chemical mechanisms. Laboratory and field experiments should carefully consider these complicating factors when comparing across different experiments and plumes.