Pratim Biswas, Dean of Engineering, University of Miami, will present.

The Wonder World of Aerosol Science and Technology

ABSTRACT: Aerosols, particles that are suspended in a gaseous medium, are ubiquitous and found in nature and engineered systems.  They occur in a range of sizes, shapes and compositions and are relevant to important phenomena such as climate change, human health, environmental and energy processes. These particles are both inadvertently and intentionally produced in a variety of systems. Starting with the enabling nature and applications of aerosol science and technology, the importance of developing an understanding of particle formation and growth will be discussed. The availability of real time instrumentation to measure fine particles has greatly aided the understanding of formation, growth and transport of these particles.  The talk will describe the use of a high flow, mini-differential mobility analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer to unravel the mechanism of formation of clusters in high temperature environments.  The importance of measurement of the early stages of particle formation and their charge distributions will be elucidated.  From the use of these precise laboratory based instruments, the presentation will transition to the description of low cost sensors for spatio-temporally distributed aerosol measurements that are causing a technological and social revolution.  A few case studies will be presented including the understanding of the spread of COVID-19.

BIO: Pratim Biswas is currently the Dean of Engineering, University of Miami, since January 2021. He was the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor of Environmental Engineering Science, Asst. Vice Chancellor for International Programs, and Chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also Director of MAGEEP, the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environmental Partnership. He received his doctoral degree from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena in 1985, and his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1980. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in 2019 "for advancing the science of aerosol dynamics and particle removal technologies."

Pratim Biswas, Dean of Engineering, University of Miami, will present.

The Wonder World of Aerosol Science and Technology

ABSTRACT: Aerosols, particles that are suspended in a gaseous medium, are ubiquitous and found in nature and engineered systems.  They occur in a range of sizes, shapes and compositions and are relevant to important phenomena such as climate change, human health, environmental and energy processes. These particles are both inadvertently and intentionally produced in a variety of systems. Starting with the enabling nature and applications of aerosol science and technology, the importance of developing an understanding of particle formation and growth will be discussed. The availability of real time instrumentation to measure fine particles has greatly aided the understanding of formation, growth and transport of these particles.  The talk will describe the use of a high flow, mini-differential mobility analyzer coupled with a mass spectrometer to unravel the mechanism of formation of clusters in high temperature environments.  The importance of measurement of the early stages of particle formation and their charge distributions will be elucidated.  From the use of these precise laboratory based instruments, the presentation will transition to the description of low cost sensors for spatio-temporally distributed aerosol measurements that are causing a technological and social revolution.  A few case studies will be presented including the understanding of the spread of COVID-19.

BIO: Pratim Biswas is currently the Dean of Engineering, University of Miami, since January 2021. He was the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor of Environmental Engineering Science, Asst. Vice Chancellor for International Programs, and Chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He is also Director of MAGEEP, the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environmental Partnership. He received his doctoral degree from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena in 1985, and his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1980. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Engineering in 2019 "for advancing the science of aerosol dynamics and particle removal technologies."