Fundamentals of Aerosols and Nanoparticle Science

3 credits · Graduate

This course introduces the fundamental principles of aerosol and nanoparticle science, with applications including battery material synthesis, catalysis, optical properties, and interstellar dust. Topics will span particle-laden flow dynamics across the free-molecular to continuum regimes, including the evolution of particle size distributions, nucleation, coalescence, and the development of fractal structures. Continuum-based approaches to kinetic and thermodynamic behavior will address particle-gas interactions, diffusion, phoretic forces, Smoluchowski relations, and nucleation. The course will also cover methods for analyzing molecular-scale properties (e.g., molecular dynamics) and optical properties (e.g., the discrete dipole approximation) as they relate to aerosol particle characterization.