Research

LIGHT ABSORBING AEROSOLS

Introduction

Brown carbon (BrC) is the light-absorbing fraction of organic aerosols that are extensively involved in the perturbation of Earth’s radiative budget. Besides being one of the prime contributors to global warming they are also causing a disturbance in the rainfall patterns by suppressing of vertical uplift of air mass and cloud dispersion due to evaporation. BrC has also affected the photochemistry of the troposphere by reducing the ozone and OH radical concentration hence affecting the self-cleansing phenomena of the atmosphere. BrC needs improved comprehension, as this influential part of the atmosphere is still poorly understood due to its non-static optical properties which evolve with space and time. To understand this dynamic nature of BrC the rigorous analysis of the dependence of BrC on different physicochemical properties is required. Also, the formation of different fractions of BrC is required to be examined to have a better understanding of their contribution to atmospheric heating. Hence our Research will focus on the transit of these light-absorbing particles in the atmosphere and a detailed study of their Tarball Fraction including its formation, composition, morphology, and aging in the IGP (Indo-Gangetic Plain) which is a BrC hotspot region.

 Thesis Supervisor:  Dr. Tarun Gupta