User:S1arnold/John H. Seinfeld

Background and education
John H. Seinfeld was born in Elmira, New York and received a BS from the University of Rochester and a PhD from Princeton University. Both degrees are in Chemical Engineering. At the California Institute of Technology he has served as Executive Officer for Chemical Engineering and Chairman of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science. Professor Seinfeld is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the University of Patras (Greece) and Carnegie Mellon University.

Research and publications
The goal of our research is to gain a fundamental understanding of atmospheric chemical and physical processes that govern the dynamics and distribution of gases and particles (aerosols) from urban regions to the global atmosphere. We are motivated especially by the desire to understand the role of atmospheric aerosols in global climate and air quality.

Accurate representation of aerosol physical and chemical properties and of the processes that influence those properties in global climate models is essential for understanding modification of the global energy balance through absorption and scattering of radiation, modification of cloud reflectance and persistence, and modification of precipitation. Aerosol properties that must be accurately represented by models to quantify these effects include mass concentration, particle size and size-dependent composition, optical properties, solubility, and ability to serve as cloud condensation nuclei.

Research Areas

Research in atmospheric science rests equally on a foundation of laboratory experiments, field measurements, and theoretical modeling. Each of these areas is pursued in our group:

Formation of Secondary Organic Aerosols: We have a unique laboratory chamber facility, consisting of two 28 m3 fully instrumented transparent reactors, in which we simulate atmospheric chemistry and aerosol formation.

Field campaigns: Professor Seinfeld is Principal Investigator for the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS), a research center at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California which operates research aircraft for atmospheric science. The principal aircraft for atmospheric studies is the Twin Otter, which our group has employed for a number of atmospheric experiments, with special emphasis on aerosol-cloud relationships.

Global modeling of air quality and climate: We have had a major effort in global and regional modeling of air quality and climate, for which we have collaborated with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany, and Harvard University.

Research Programs

Joint Research Programs:

CACTUS (www.cactus.caltech.edu/presentations/) ITR	 (atmos.cgrer.uiowa.edu) GCAP (www-as.harvard.edu/chemistry/trop/gcap/)

Caltech smog chamber
Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in the atmospheric oxidation of gas-phase organic compounds and subsequent gas-particle partitioning of lower-volatility reaction products, is a major contributor to the total tropospheric particulate burden. As a result, the need for an accurate understanding of atmospheric aerosols and their effects requires that models of gas-phase atmospheric chemistry include processes governing the formation and fate of SOA. Because the chemistry of SOA formation is complex, laboratory chamber studies of SOA formation and growth serve as the basis for developing that understanding. The Caltech chamber laboratory has been the source of much of the world’s data on the formation of SOA from parent hydrocarbons. Current studies are aimed at understanding the role of gas-phase chemistry in SOA formation and defining the entire suite of the most important hydrocarbon precursors to ambient organic aerosol.

Recent studies include:

SOA formation from isoprene under high- and low-NOx conditions; SOA formation from isoprene + NO3 radical SOA formation from aromatic hydrocarbons: m-xylene, toluene and benzene NOx dependence of SOA formation from photooxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons Formation of sulfate esters in SOA from isoprene and monoterpenes SOA formation from aliphatic amines SOA formation from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Atmospheric aerosol - forming potential of glyoxal

Honors and awards
Dr. Seinfeld is a highly cited researcher. He is a Wallace Memorial Fellow, Princeton University (1966-1967); Donald P. Eckman Award, American Automatic Control Council (1970); Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Grant (1972); Curtis W. McGraw Research Award, American Society for Engineering Education (1976); Allan P. Colburn Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1976); Thirty-Second Institute Lecturer, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1980); Public Service Award, NASA (1980); National Academy of Engineering (1982); William H. Walker Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1986); Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (1986); George Westinghouse Award, American Society for Engineering Education (1987); Special Creativity Award, National Science Foundation (1988); Service Through Chemistry Award, Orange County Section of American Chemical Society (1988); Distinguished Alumnus Award, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Rochester (1989); Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1991); Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science and Technology, American Chemical Society (1993); Fellow, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (1995); Fuchs Award, International Aerosol Research Assembly (1998); Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (1999); Warren K. Lewis Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2000); Nevada Medal (2001); D.Sc.h.c., University of Patras (2002); D.Sc.h.c., Carnegie Mellon University (2002); Haagen-Smit Clean Air Award, State of California Air Resources Board (2003); Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2004).