This course is about the chemical processing of atmospheric constituents in the troposphere. Chemical processing caused by photochemistry, gas phase reaction kinetics, heterogeneous chemical processing involving aerosols and clouds, phase partitioning, and chemical reactions in aerosols will be discussed. Examples will be given to illustrate each of the said processes. The course aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the most important chemical processes that form the basis for a whole range of atmospheric phenomena including acid deposition, photochemical smog, particulate matter formation, and visibility reduction that are affecting people’s lives today.

Lecture 1: Tropospheric photochemistry
Lecture 2: Tropospheric photochemistry leading to photochemical smog
Lecture 3: Gas phase biogenic hydrocarbon photochemistry
Lecture 4: Atmospheric aerosol composition, size distribution and optical properties
Lecture 5: Organic aerosol composition
Lecture 6: Gas-particle partitioning
Lecture 7: Secondary organic aerosol production
Lecture 8: Heterogeneous reactions
Lecture 9: Aerosol activation
Lecture 10: Summary

Shao-Meng Li

Air Quality Research Division
Atmospheric Science and Technology Directorate
Science and Technology Branch
Environment Canada

Research Interests
Long term changes in aerosol composition and chemical tracers in pristine environments
Carbonaceous aerosol characterization in urban and pristine environments
Laboratory studies of kinetics of gas and aerosol interactions and chemical kinetics of organics in aerosols
Application of fast response instrumentation with applications to airborne and ground based eddy covariance flux measurements
Emissions from agricultural and automotive engine emissions, focusing on at source and near source processes leading to physical and chemical evolutions of VOC/SVOCs and primary particles