Student: Nicole Bishop, Undergraduate Student in Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa
Research Mentor: Dr. Joshua Sebree
The Effect of Extended Photochemical Processing on Subsequent Aerosol Generations
At the end of the Cassini era, many of the mysteries surrounding Titan’s atmosphere have yet to be unraveled. To enhance the return of the Cassini data, our group has been carrying out the first cryogenic photochemistry of aromatic and aliphatic aerosol analogs. To date, the majority of photochemical aerosols have been generated at ambient room conditions.
Our study represents one of the first attempts to follow the aerosol kinetics from ambient temperatures towards the cryogenic conditions found on Titan. Beyond that different variables are being explored in the attempt to determine which parameters drive the kinetics of the system. With custom built cryo-photolysis chamber with in situ UV-Vis spectroscopy, it is possible to follow both formation of bulk aerosols in the reaction vessel and compare different experimental parameters.