Optical properties of Los Angeles aerosols: An analysis of data acquired during SCAQS. Final report

Technical Report · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5165496

McMurry, P H; Zhang, X; Sloane, C; White, W H

The report describes research on the optical characteristics of aerosols measured during the 1987 Southern California Air Quality Study (SCAQS). The chemically-resolved size distributions that were obtained with cascade impactors are combined with measurements of single particle water content to obtain a refined model for the aerosol mixing characteristics and hygroscopic properties. This aerosol model is used to calculate light scattering, absorption and extinction coefficients for the aerosol, as well as to estimate changes in these coefficients that might be expected if the concentration of a given chemical species changes by a given amount (optical efficiencies). The study shows that the optical efficiencies of an aerosol species vary with mean size of the species as well as with the relative humidity of the aerosol for hygroscopic species.

• Research Organization: Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis, MN (United States). Particle Technology Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5165496
• Report Number(s): PB-91-212118/XAB; PTL-PUB--775
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AEROSOLS
AIR QUALITY
CALIFORNIA
COLLOIDS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISPERSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION IX
HUMIDITY
HYGROSCOPICITY
LIGHT SCATTERING
LOS ANGELES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MIXING
NORTH AMERICA
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PARTICLE SIZE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
SIZE
SOLS
USA