Chamber studies of the heterogeneous reaction of sulfur dioxide with particulate hematite

The goal of this thesis is to investigate the kinetics and amount of SO₂ uptake on hematite, which will act as a representative of mineral dust aerosol. The environmental reaction chamber used here will allow the variation of water vapor pressure to examine the effect of relative humidity (RH) on these parameters. The role of a common atmospheric oxidant, ozone, in the uptake process will also be investigated. The results will be presented with emphasis on the role of hematite in mineral dust aerosols as a sink of SO₂, and the possible acidification of hematite particles through heterogeneous reaction pathways.