Chemical kinetics and microphysics of atmospheric aerosols

It is now firmly established that aerosols have important health and climate effects spanning local, regional, and global scales. There are however many important aspects of aerosol kinetics and microphysics that are not known. The need for more information required to model and develop protective pollution control strategies has motivated an increasing amount of research in this area. Here we present results of research utilizing a novel aerosol mass spectrometer. Techniques were developed in this work to perform detailed kinetic and microphysical experiments using the device. The work includes instrument calibration and signal processing. Using the apparatus, studies were performed measuring the kinetics of oleic acid with ozone. In addition, a model describing aerosols kinetics over a range of conditions was developed. Several preliminary aerosol microphysics studies were also conducted, including water uptake on oleic acid, sulfuric acid, and sulfuric acid coated soot. Experiments designed to probe coagulation of submicron sulfuric acid aerosols were also performed. In an appendix to the thesis, elements of air pollution economics are discussed and applied. A novel result applicable to pollution permit trading is derived.