Abstract
Atmospheric aerosols play a substantial role in climate change through radiative forcing. Combustion-produced carbonaceous particles are the main light-absorbing aerosols; thus, quantifying their optical properties is essential for determining the magnitude of direct forcing. By using the electron energy-loss spectrum in the transmission electron microscope, we quantified the optical properties of individual, submicrometer amorphous carbon spheres that are ubiquitous in East Asian-Pacific outflow. The data indicate that these common spheres are brown, not black, with a mean refractive index of 1.67 - 0.27i (where i = √1) at a wavelength of 550 nanometers. The results suggest that brown carbon aerosols should be explicitly included in radiative forcing models.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 833-836 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 321 |
| Issue number | 5890 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 8 2008 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General
Cite this
Brown carbon spheres in East Asian outflow and their optical properties. / Alexander, Duncan T L; Crozier, Peter; Anderson, James R.
In: Science, Vol. 321, No. 5890, 08.08.2008, p. 833-836.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Brown carbon spheres in East Asian outflow and their optical properties
AU - Alexander, Duncan T L
AU - Crozier, Peter
AU - Anderson, James R.
PY - 2008/8/8
Y1 - 2008/8/8
N2 - Atmospheric aerosols play a substantial role in climate change through radiative forcing. Combustion-produced carbonaceous particles are the main light-absorbing aerosols; thus, quantifying their optical properties is essential for determining the magnitude of direct forcing. By using the electron energy-loss spectrum in the transmission electron microscope, we quantified the optical properties of individual, submicrometer amorphous carbon spheres that are ubiquitous in East Asian-Pacific outflow. The data indicate that these common spheres are brown, not black, with a mean refractive index of 1.67 - 0.27i (where i = √1) at a wavelength of 550 nanometers. The results suggest that brown carbon aerosols should be explicitly included in radiative forcing models.
AB - Atmospheric aerosols play a substantial role in climate change through radiative forcing. Combustion-produced carbonaceous particles are the main light-absorbing aerosols; thus, quantifying their optical properties is essential for determining the magnitude of direct forcing. By using the electron energy-loss spectrum in the transmission electron microscope, we quantified the optical properties of individual, submicrometer amorphous carbon spheres that are ubiquitous in East Asian-Pacific outflow. The data indicate that these common spheres are brown, not black, with a mean refractive index of 1.67 - 0.27i (where i = √1) at a wavelength of 550 nanometers. The results suggest that brown carbon aerosols should be explicitly included in radiative forcing models.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=49449104923&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=49449104923&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1126/science.1155296
DO - 10.1126/science.1155296
M3 - Article
VL - 321
SP - 833
EP - 836
JO - Science
JF - Science
SN - 0036-8075
IS - 5890
ER -