Fundamentals of Aerosols and Nanoparticle Science

This course introduces the fundamental principles of aerosol and nanoparticle science, with applications including battery material synthesis, catalysis, optical properties, and interstellar dust. Topics will span particle-laden flow dynamics across the free-molecular to continuum regimes, including the evolution of particle size distributions, nucleation, coalescence, and the development of fractal structures. Continuum-based approaches to kinetic and thermodynamic behavior will address particle-gas interactions, diffusion, phoretic forces, Smoluchowski relations, and nucleation. The course will also cover methods for analyzing molecular-scale properties (e.g., molecular dynamics) and optical properties (e.g., the discrete dipole approximation) as they relate to aerosol particle characterization.