Georgia Institute of Technology
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Fall 2014

Course Description:

Time: 12:05-1:25 pm, Tuesday and Thursday

Place: MS&E G021

Instructor:
Athanasios Nenes (athanasios.nenes@gatech.edu), ES&T 3258, x4-9225

Teaching Assistants:
None

Office/TA hours:
Available any time.

Tentative Grading Scheme:
Homework - 20%
Midterm Exam - 40%
Final Exam or Project - 40%

Textbooks:
Written Notes, Handouts and Journal Publications (given during lectures and posted on the website)
Seinfeld and Pandis, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics - From Air Pollution to Climate Change , Wiley (ISBN 978-0-471-72018-8)
Curry and Webster, Thermodynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, Academic Press (ISBN 978-0121995706)
Pruppacher and Klett, Microphysics of Clouds and Precipitation, Elsevier Scientific, (ISBN 978-0792342113)
Rogers and Yau, A Short Course in Cloud Physics, Butterworth-Heinemann (ISBN 0-7506-3215-1)

Syllabus

Homework policy:

Homework assignments will be accepted up to one class period after the assignment is due: later assignments will not be accepted (unless you have obtained permission from the instructor in advance), so that the homeworks can be returned the week after they have been handed in. Collaboration on the homeworks is allowed, although each student must return their own solutions.


Announcments Posted on:
Final location, time, format December 8, 2014
Please fill out class evaluation forms! December 8, 2014

Class Notes
1. Intro thermodynamic concepts (10 overheads), Moist Thermodynamics (24 Pages), Textbook reading
2. Surface tension and curvature effects (7 Pages), Textbook reading
3. Kelvin Equation (7 Pages), Textbook reading
4. Classical Kohler Theory (10 Pages), Textbook reading, Powerpoint presentation
5. CCN Spectra Calculations (9 Pages), CCN Calculator, Twomey paper, Cohard et al. (1998)
6. Modifications to Kohler Theory (slightly soluble core and soluble gas effects) (19 Pages), Laaksonen, et al. (1998)
7. Droplet Growth Kinetics (21 Pages), Textbook Reading, Raatikainen et al. (2013), Review on Uptake Coefficient Measurements and Techniques, Class Presentation
9. 1-D Cloud parcel Theory (13 Pages), Textbook reading, Nenes et al. (2001), Twomey (1959)
10. Solving the Cloud parcel Equations - Parameterizations (13 Pages), Parameterization Presentation, Parameterization Review (Ghan et al., 2011), Twomey (1959), Nenes and Seinfeld (2003)
11. Beyond droplet formation: Collision-coalescence and warm rain (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Textbook reading, Rudich et al.(2002), Small and Chuang (2008), Liu and Daum (2004), Wood and Blossey (2005), Liu et al (2006), Khairoutdinov and Kogan (2000), Hsieh et al (2009)
12. Representation of drizzle and rain formation in models (Powerpoint presentation - see references in lecture 11)
13. Formation and growth of ice crystals (Lecture, Textbook reading)
14. Ice cloud microphysics (Lecture, Practical exercise)
15. Static Stability (Lecture, Additional Reading,Worksheet)
16. Summary of formation mechanisms, classification and impacts (Lecture)
Special topics (to be covered if there is time)
ST1. Organic Surfactants and Kohler Theory (22 Pages), Reading on Gibbs Isotherm, Biridi Handbook, Notes on CMC, Sorjamaa and Laaksonen (2004), Rissmann et al. (2004)
ST2. Solute Diffusion and Dissolution Kinetics (12 Pages), Asa-Awuku and Nenes (2007)

Homeworks & Solutions Due on:
Homework 1; Solutions
 		8/25/14
Homework 2; Solutions
 		9/9/14
Homework 3; Solutions
 		9/25/14
Homework 4; Solutions A; Solutions B
 		10/7/14
Homework 5; Solution
 		11/11/14
Homework 6; Solution
 		11/21/14

Sample Exams
Sample Midterm; Formula Sheet
Sample Final; Formula Sheet

Weblinks
Cloud Microphysics Webpage, Some facts about clouds, Clouds and the Energy Cycle, Cloud Appreciation Society
Athanasios Nenes Homepage