72635 - Physical Chemistry of the Atmosphere

Learning outcomes

- To provide knowledge about the physical and chemical mechanisms that take place in the atmosphere with specific reference to the problems connected with the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect. - To provide knowledge about the investigation techniques adopted to determine the physical properties and the chemical composition of the atmosphere. - Acquisition of the fundamental chemical and physical principles necessary to evaluate the impact of industrial processes on the atmospheric environment.

Course contents

Structure of the atmosphere. Quantities and units used in the atmosphere. Interaction between electromagnetic waves and degrees of freefom of gas-phase molecules. Quantum-mechanical treatment of molecular degrees of freedom. Trqanslation, rotation and vibration of gas-phase molecules. rotational spectra of rigid rotor. Centrifugal distortion effect. rotation of ployatomic molecules. Classification of rotors: rotational bands. Vibration of polyatomic molecules: normal modes of vibration. Electronic states and elec tronic transitions. The greenhouse effect. photochemical smog. Particulate matter. Acid rains. Natural radioactivity. Remote sensing of the atmosphere. Geometries of observation. Absorption and emission spectroscopy of the atmosphere. Principles of photochemistry. Principles of kinetics. Spectrometers used for atmospheric measurements. Simulation of spectroscopic measurements of the atmosphere: the forward model. Interpretation of atmospheric spectra. The inverse problem: retrieval of altitude distributions from spectroscopic measurements of the atmosphere. Theory of the non-linear least squares approach. Analysis of real spectroscopic measurements taken from orbiting platform: laboratory training.

Readings/Bibliography

J.H. Seinfeld, “Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics”, J. Wiley & Sons Inc, New York.
B.J. Finlayson-Pitts, J.N. Pitts, “Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere”, Academis Press, San Diego.

http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~lizsmith/SEES/ozone/oz_class.htm

P.W. Atkins, J. De Paula, “Physical Chemistry” VII ed., W.H. Freeman & co (Zanichelli).

http://www.ccpo.odu.edu/~lizsmith/SEES/ozone/oz_class.htm

Teaching methods

The full course is given with classroom lessons and a training part with the use of computers

Assessment methods

The final examination is oral and will be focused on a probable set of questions aimed to verify the theoretical knowledge of the student about the principles and the technologies presented along the course.

Teaching tools

Slide projector

Personal Computers

Transparency projector

Blackboard

Office hours

See the website of Massimo Carlotti