Radicals and large molecular weight organics / the missing links in secondary organic aerosol formation?

Understanding the formation processes of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is critical to a number of contemporary environmental problems ranging from human health to climate change. The work outlined in this proposal will use simulation studies using a custom aerosol chambers to understand the processes leading to secondary aerosol formation. The study represents a pump-priming activity to assess the applicability of the experimental methods and the ability to measure the range of gas phase compounds. The data from the study will be modelled using the so-called master chemical mechanism to explore the development of chemical diagnostics for the formation of secondary organic aerosol.