Rebecca Washenfelder
Research Scientist II
Tropospheric Chemistry
CIRES
Mailing address:
NOAA ESRL Chemical Sciences Division
325 Broadway, R/CSD7
Boulder, CO 80305 USA
Phone: (303) 497-4810
Email: Rebecca.Washenfelder@noaa.gov
I am a scientist at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), employed through the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
The focus of my research is developing new laboratory and field instruments to measure trace gases and aerosol in the atmosphere. Cavity enhanced spectroscopy is a sensitive and accurate technique that can achieve effective pathlengths of many kilometers in a cell with a physical length of 1 m. These optical cavities can be coupled to extremely high-power blue and ultraviolet LEDs. Previously, I used broadband cavity enhanced spectroscopy to measure glyoxal (CHOCHO), nitrous acid (HONO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Currently, I am using these analytical methods to quantify the scattering and absorption by atmospheric aerosol particles.
Education
B.A., Chemistry, Pomona College, 1999
M.S., Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2002
Ph.D., Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2006
Research
- Measurement of aerosol optical properties and reactive trace gases using spectroscopic techniques.
- Quantifying the chemical and optical properties of organic aerosol.
- Information about my graduate work: column concentrations of greenhouse gases and the Total Carbon Column Observing Network.
Current Topics
Broadband cavity enhanced spectroscopy (BBCES) is an analytical technique that was first described by Fiedler et al. (2003). This approach uses a broadband light source, optical cavity, and grating spectrometer to acquire spectra with a very long effective absorption pathlength. Spectral fitting methods can be used to retrieve multiple absorbers. I have used this technique for laboratory and field measurements of glyoxal (CHOCHO), nitrous acid (HONO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and aerosol optical extinction.
I am currently focused on methods to determine complex refractive indices of aerosol in the ultraviolet spectral region. This is important because organic aerosols have been shown to absorb light in this spectral region, which may significantly affect the earth's radiative budget.
last modified: March 16, 2016