AEROSOLS▪ BROWN CARBON FORMATION ▪ ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY

The atmosphere is challenging to study due to the incredible complexity of the compounds found in suspended particles such as clouds and aerosol. We can often study a simplified system in the laboratory and then apply what we have learned to the more complex atmosphere; however there are still many reactions that have not been studied and compounds that have not been identified. Research in the Galloway lab has a dual focus; 1) determining the compounds that are formed during the reactions of small carbonyls with ammonium or amines, which are commonly found in atmospheric particles, and 2) determining how these reaction mixtures change when exposed to sunlight. This information will inform atmospheric modelers; if we know the products and reaction rates from a mixture of compounds, we may be able to provide more accurate models of atmospheric particles. This would allow for better predictions of the human health and climate change effects of aerosol.