Investigations toward highly absorbing particulate aerosols with minimal total scattering in the UV spectral region

ABSTRACT

In this computational and experimental study, we investigate appropriate available particulate materials dispersed as aerosols using two in-situ methods of dispersal in a search for maximal absorption and minimal scattering, with an objective of obtaining less than one percent total scattering in the UV spectral region (300–400 nm). Fifteen commercial carbon nano-particulate materials have been investigated and categorized according to their extinction efficiencies and scattering percentages when measured in-situ. The extinction efficiencies were measured both in liquid suspensions, which allows various mechanisms for particle separation, and in-situ. The size distributions were produced, and the corresponding scattering percentages of the extinction efficiencies were calculated, using the discrete dipole–dipole approximation theory. This study shows that high efficiency particles with no more than a few percent total scattering could be aerosolized in-situ in the UV spectral region.

KEYWORDS:

• Extinction
• scattering
• absorption
• UV spectra
• aerosols

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sharhabeel Alyones

Sharhabeel Alyones is an associate professor at the physics department, Hashemite University, Jordan. He received a BSc and MSc in physics from Yarmouk university, Jordan, Master’s in electrical engineering and PhD in physics from New Mexico State University (2005 and 2006). His research is in the aria of electromagnetic interactions with specific particulate shapes and materials across the electromagnetic spectrum. His other research includes electrodynamics of aerosol particles and electrodynamics of metamaterials. He has published many high quality articles and produced many technical reports for various funding organizations.

Michael Granado

Michael Granado is an associate research scientist in the physics department at New Mexico state university. He received a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering technology and a master’s in business administration from New Mexico State University (2007 and 2010). He began work as an engineer for this applied optics group at NMSU while attending graduate school collaborating on several tech reports and studies in physics and engineering. Upon receiving his master’s degree he began full time employment as a research scientist and has continued work on many aerosols analysis, has authored and co-authored many technical study reports and publications; He has also participated in significant field tests and formulation of reports including Smoke week 2012 at White Sand Missile Range - along with other tests conducted at Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center in Maryland.

Charles. W. Bruce

Charles. W. Bruce is a college professor at the physics department, New Mexico State University. He received a B.A. in physics from union college, schenectady in 1959 and both Master’s and PhD in physics from New Mexico State University (1968 and 1970). His initial research was in laser induced plasmas and development of pulsed laser instrumentation at Kirkland AF base in the early 1960s. From 1971 to 1995 he was employed at the US army atmospheric sciences laboratory. From 1984 to the present he has been a college professor at the physics department, at NMSU (initially through the Intergovernmental Personel Act (IPA)). Other research areas have been b) radio frequency excited low density plasma, c) air contamination research on both sides of the USA-Mexico border and d) molecular and particulate spectroscopy with current emphasis on electromagnetic interactions with specific particulate shapes and materials across the spectrum. Each of these efforts has produced publications. A number of few techniques are described in publications and patents.