Adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on soot: production of benchmark particles and characterisation by mass spectrometry
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are key components in the formation of soot particles during combustion processes. Moreover, due to their toxicity some PAH molecules play an important role in environmental pollution and health issues. Despite these societal concerns, available PAH diagnostics are not quantitative and they do not allow to determine the ability of PAH molecules to be adsorbed on soot particles during their growth in flames. One of the reasons is the lack of benchmark particles with known PAH content in order to calibrate the available diagnostics. The project CAHAPS (a French acronym for Online characterisation of the PAH adsorption on soot) conducted in collaboration between the CORIA (Rouen) and the CIMAP (Caen), aims to demonstrate, by a bottom-up approach, the feasibility of characterising PAH adsorption on soot particles.
The first step of this project, funded by LabEx EMC3 (Energy Materials and Clean Combustion Centre), consists of realising a device allowing to quantify the PAH adsorption yield on soot in an controlled environment (soot and PAH). These benchmark particles will be produced by injection of specified soot particles in a gas aggregation cluster source. The expertise of the CORIA team (generation and characterisation of soot particles) is combined with the knowhow of the atomic and molecular physics team of the CIMAP in GANIL (cluster production). Benchmark particles will be analysed by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The PAH adsorption on the soot particles will be studied with respect to the size and morphology of the particles and as a function of the PAH molecules.
The hired person will be in charge of the development of the experimental device in Caen including the coupling with the soot particle generator of the CORIA group. Moreover, a discharge system and a charge selection device will be designed and the detection system will be improved. In addition, this person will have to become familiar with the production and characterisation of soot particles. With this ensemble of knowhows, the hired person will perform the experiments aiming to characterise the PAH adsorption on soot by mass spectrometry.
The position is available for 12 months. The successful candidate is expected to start in January 2013. The estimated monthly gross salary is 2900 euros.
Contact:
Patrick Rousseau; [log in to unmask]; +33 231454806
Jérôme Yon; [log in to unmask]; +33 232953630
http://cimap.ensicaen.fr/spip.php?article1028
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