Department Seminar Series - Dr. Cari Dutcher

Thermodynamics and phase of aerosol particles using models and microfluidics

Cari Dutcher, PhD

Abstract

Atmospheric aerosols, or suspensions of tiny condensed-phase droplets and particles, are all around us. The composition and phase of atmospheric aerosol particles evolve dramatically with changes in the ambient environmental conditions, resulting in changes in the particle’s optical properties, chemical uptake and partitioning, and activation to cloud condensation or ice nuclei. In this talk, recent advancements using analytic thermodynamic modeling and laboratory microscale flows will be highlighted for aerosol droplet systems, towards improved understanding of the properties and phase of aerosols in our atmosphere.

Biography

Cari S. Dutcher is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, with research interests in complex fluids and multiphase fluids, including aerosols, emulsions, and foams. Cari also serves on the Executive Board of the American Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR). Prior to her faculty position, Cari was a postdoctoral fellow in the Air Quality Research Center at the University of California, Davis. Cari received her B.S from Illinois Institute of Technology (2004) and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (2009), both in Chemical Engineering.

Meeting Details