Fall Student Research Symposium 2018

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  Chemical Analysis of Aerosol Particle Surfaces

  Hillary Woolf

  Aerosol particles are thought to impact climate properties. The ability to probe aerosols to understand their chemical properties has been difficult due to a lack of appropriate analytical techniques. Here we present interface-specific SHS techniques to allow for in situ analysis of aerosol particles. Transportation of aerosols from their collection site to the laboratory disturbs their chemical and physical properties thus making it difficult to take accurate measurements of aerosol particles. We show that using a CCD detector is a more effective option for producing more sensitive results and can greatly reduce sampling time and could possibly detect measurements from a single aerosol particle. Using these techniques we can gain a greater understanding of aerosol composition and of how aerosol properties affect atmospheric conditions. SHS can quantitatively determine the density of organic molecules at the aerosol particle’s surface. In combination with the insitu techniques developed we can gain better understanding of aerosol properties.