Atmospheric Physics Laboratory

Research Faculty W. Cantrell

The principal tool in the Atmospheric Physics Lab is a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Because the OH stretch (which is an IR active transition) in the water molecule is particularly sensitive to the formation and strength of hydrogen bonds, FTIR spectrometry is particularly well suited for studies of the physical and chemical characteristics of thin films of water and ice. Other facilities include an oil free vacuum system, pressure measurement from 10-8 to 1000 mbar, various instruments for temperature measurement and control, and an optical particle counter (on loan from the University of Alaska Fairbanks).