5 ECTS credits (LUOVI2), August 12-22, 2012
This is an advanced level intensive course held in Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in Juupajoki, Finland.
The official course webpage has a more detailed programme and the registrations details.
For whom:
The course is aimed at PhD students and scientists in the field of experimental atmospheric research.
Course aims
In the aerosol formation point of view, the formation of new particles and their subsequent growth seem to occur almost everywhere in the world. These new particles can increase the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei by a factor more than two over the course of one day. According to very recent scientific results up to 30% of the atmosphere’s aerosol particles are formed by gas-to-particle conversion. The effect of clouds and aerosol particles is the most poorly understood factor in the global climate change. Atmospheric new particle production must be understood and include when developing global climate models.
The aim of this course is to give an extensive picture of the current knowledge about atmospheric particle formation, its impacts on the Earth’s climate, and the theories applicable for model studies.
Course contents
The course is aimed at PhD students and advanced MSc students of atmospheric sciences. Topics that will be covered are
- Atmospheric aerosols
- Aerosol measurement techniques
- Atmospheric observations of aerosol formation and growth
- Nucleation theory and computational methods
- Aerosol dynamics: Condensation and coagulation
- Aerosol dynamics: Emissions, deposition and general dynamic equation
- Aerosols, clouds and climate
- Large-scale modeling of atmospheric aerosol
- Organic aerosols
- Gaseous precursors of atmospheric aerosols and their chemistry
- Laboratory investigations of nucleation and nanoparticle growth
- Primary vs. secondary, and natural vs. anthropogenic contribution to atmospheric aerosol number concentrations
- Heterogeneous chemistry and particulate phase processes in aerosol formation and growth
- Thermodynamics of aerosol formation
- Observations of sub-3 nm atmospheric clusters
- Chemical composition of atmospheric nanoparticles and clusters
- Acid-base chemistry and aerosol formation and growth
- Air quality and climate interactions
Prof. Markku Kulmala (University of Helsinki), Prof. Veli-Matti Kerminen (University of Helsinki), Assoc. Prof. Ilona Riipinen (Stockholm University) and Prof. Hanna Vehkamäki (University of Helsinki) will lead the course. There will be also several guest lecturers.
