Christopher Cappa

Our research is focused on the study of physical, chemical and optical properties of atmospheric aerosols. Current research is focused on the development and deployment of methods to measure the optical properties of aerosols. Techniques being developed include cavity ringdown spectroscopy and photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy. These techniques are used to determine how atmospheric particles absorb and extinguish light. There is a particular focus on how water and chemical composition influence aerosol optical properties. Laboratory and field experiments are conducted in order to develop more realistic model parameterizations.