15th Annual Ryckman Lecture

John H. Seinfeld
Louis E. Nohl Professor of Chemical Engineering
California Institute of Technology

Friday, April 12, 2019
Lecture: 11 a.m. - Brauer Hall, Room 12 
Reception: 5 p.m. - Brauer Hall, 1st Floor Lobby

Talk Title — Secondary Organic Aerosol 

Abstract: Organic compounds comprise 50 percent or more of the mass of airborne particulate matter, worldwide. The principal route to formation of organic atmospheric particulate matter is the atmospheric oxidation of volatile organic compounds, generated by both anthropogenic and biogenic sources, to produce low-volatility compounds that condense into the aerosol phase. Oxidation products generated in this way are referred to as Secondary Organic Aerosol. Understanding the chemistry and physics of Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) is a dominant challenge in atmospheric chemistry. Laboratory studies of SOA formation are typically carried out in large chambers. We will review the current state of understanding of SOA formation and the challenges in studying SOA in laboratory chambers.