Atmospheric Organic Aerosols

Prof. John H. Seinfeld
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA  

Lavoisier Lecture #2
Department of Chemistry
University Paris Diderot – Paris 7

November 24, 2011
11:00 am

Organic  compounds  are  a  significant  fraction  of  atmospheric  particulate matter. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed from condensation of low-volatility species from the oxidation of gas-phase organic compounds, often dominates  the  total  organic  aerosol.  Understanding  the  formation  of  SOA has  proven  to  be  a  challenge,  owing  to  the  difficulty  in  identifying  and quantifying  the  gas-phase  oxidation  chemistry,  as  well  as  the  complex, multi-generation  oxidative  chemistry  that  leads  to  the  aerosol  formation. Laboratory chamber data provide the basic understanding of SOA formation. In chamber experiments, specific compounds of interest can be isolated and studied  under  well-controlled  oxidation  environments,  allowing  one  to achieve  a  more  detailed  and  direct  characterization  of  the  composition, chemical,  and  physical  properties  of  the  aerosol.  Field  measurements provide important datasets for understanding the chemistry and life cycles of ambient  aerosols.  The  combination  of  chamber  and  ambient  data  yields important insights into our understanding of aerosol chemistry. Results from chamber  experiments  and  integrated  analysis  of  multidimensional  and multiple  worldwide  aerosol  mass  spectrometry  datasets  will  be  presented, and  their  implications  for  the  evolution  of  atmospheric  aerosols  will  be discussed.

Amphithéâtre Buffon, Rez-de-chaussée bas  
15 rue Hélène Brion, 75013 Paris