Collaborative Research: Reframing Modeling Approaches for Multiphase Chemistry--Isoprene and Beyond

This project will focus on the creation of an integrated gas- and particle-phase chemical mechanism that incorporates the latest knowledge of gas-phase reactions, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) precursors, and the influence of gas/particle phase state on acid-catalyzed multiphase chemistry. The mechanism will be implemented in both regional and global scale models and is expected to improve the predictions of SOA from isoprene.

The objectives of this project are to: (1) develop and evaluate a semi-explicit gas-phase chemical mechanism that includes isoprene oxidation and SOA precursor formation; (2) develop a multiphase chemical mechanism for isoprene-derived SOA, integrated with the gas-phase chemical mechanism; and (3) implement the new integrated mechanism in an air quality model for evaluation and sensitivity analysis relative to commonly used mechanisms. The project includes plans for undergraduate first-generation college students from the Lookout Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina to participate in air quality research.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.