Theoretical Atmospheric Chemistry

Research Group Dr. Luc Vereecken

Many chemical compounds, including a wide variety of hydrocarbons, are emitted into the atmosphere each day in enormous quantities, both by natural and anthropogenic sources. Chemical kinetics and physical processes determines how these compounds affect the atmosphere, i.e. how they transform into other compounds and how they are removed by deposition processes. To address the challenges associated with increasing air pollution and global change, and improve the predictive capability of computer models that describe the chemical mechanisms our basic knowledge of these processes needs to be improved.

Our research group investigates key reactions in atmospheric chemistry using theoretical methodologies. We aim at supporting and extending experimental knowledge, characterizing new chemistry and mechanisms, and providing tools for the prediction of reaction rates for important reaction classes.

Dr. Luc Vereecken is Junior Faculty member of the Max Planck Graduate Center with the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (MPGC)