Research Interests:
Atmospheric photochemistry
from Earth's surface to the stratosphere; atmospheric interactions between
photochemistry and dynamics; chemical reactions in the gas-phase on surfaces;
spectroscopic detection techniques.
Teaching Interests:
Atmospheric
chemistry, phenomena of the middle atmosphere, cloud chemistry and physics,
micrometeorology, instruments.
Dr. Brune studies the role of chemistry, particularly reactive free radicals,
in atmospheric processes. These studies address fundamental questions of
air quality near Earth's surface, of atmospheric effects of global pollution
in the middle and upper troposphere, and of ozone destruction in the stratosphere.
He develops state-of-the-art instruments based on spectroscopic and photochemical
principles to detect atmospheric trace constituents and to study chemical
mechanisms in the laboratory. His research includes the measurement and
analysis of the hydrogen free radicals OH and HO
2 and total atmospheric
OH reactivity using ground-based platforms and aircraft. He, his colleagues
and students also conduct laboratory and field studies of oxidation processes
that result in the pollutants ozone and atmospheric particles.
Selected Publications:
Shirley, T.R., W. H. Brune, X. Ren, J. Mao, R. Lesher, B. Cardenas, R.
Volkamer, L. T. Molina, M. J. Molina, B. Lamb, E. Velasco, T. Jobson,
and M. Alexander, Atmospheric oxidation in the Mexico City Metropolitan
Area (MCMA) during April 2003,
Atmos. Chem. Phys.,
6,
2753-2765, 2006.
Ren, X., W.H. Brune, A. Oliger, A.R. Metcalf, J. B. Simpas, T. Shirley,
J. J. Schwab, C. Bai, U. Roychowdhury, Y. Li, C. Cai, K.L. Demerjian,
Y. He, X. Zhou, H. Gao, and J. Hou, OH, HO_2 , and OH reactivity during
the PMTACSNY Whiteface Mountain 2002 campaign: Observations and model
comparison,
J. Geophys. Res.,
111, D10S03, doi:10.1029/2005JD006126,
2006.
Ren, X.R., Brune, W.H., Cantrell, C.A., G.D. Edwards, T. Shirley, A.R. Metcalf
and R.L. Lesher, Hydroxyl and peroxy radical chemistry in a rural area of
Central Pennsylvania: Observations and model comparisons,
J. Atmos.
Chem.,
52 (3): 231-257, 2005.
Di Carlo, P; W.H. Brune, M. Martinez, H. Harder, R. Lesher, X.R. Ren,
T. Thornberry, M.A. Carroll, V. Young, P.B. Shepson, D. Riemer, E. Apel,
C. Campbell, Missing OH reactivity in a forest: Evidence for unknown reactive
biogenic VOCs,
Science,
304, 722-725, 2004.
Ren, X.R., H. Harder, M. Martinez, I.C. Faloona, D. Tan, R.L. Lesher,
P. Di Carlo, J.B. Simpas, W.H. Brune, Interference testing for atmospheric
HOx measurements by laser-induced fluorescence,
J. Atmos. Chem.,
47, 169-190, 2004.
Faloona, I.C., D. Tan, R.L. Lesher, N.L. Hazen, C.L. Frame, J.B. Simpas,
H. Harder, M. Martinez, P. Di Carlo, X.R. Ren, W.H. Brune, A laser-induced
fluorescence instrument for detecting tropospheric OH and HO_2 : Characteristics
and calibration,
J. Atmos. Chem.,
47, 139-167,
2004.
Martinez, M, H. Harder, X. Ren, R.L. Lesher, W.H. Brune, Measuring atmospheric
naphthalene with laser-induced fluorescence,
Atmospheric Chemistry
and Physics,
4, 563-569, 2004.
Ren, X., H. Harder, M. Martinez, R. L. Lesher, A. Oliger, J. B. Simpas,
W.H. Brune, J. J. Schwab, K. L. Demerjian, Y. He, X. Zhou, and H. Gao,
OH and HO2 Chemistry in the Urban Atmosphere of New York City, Atmospheric
Environment, *37*, 3639-3651, 2003.
Kovacs, T.A., W.H. Brune, H. Harder, M. Martinez, J.B. Simpas, G.J. Frost,
E. Williams, T. Jobson, C. Stroud, V. Young, A. Fried, and B. Wert, Direct
measurements of urban OH reactivity during Nashville SOS in summer 1999.
J. Environ. Monit.,
5, 6874, 2003.
Faloona, I., D. Tan, W. Brune, J. Hurst, D. Barket, T. Couch, P. Shepson,
E. Apel, D. Riemer, T. Thornberry, M. A. Carroll, S. Sillman, S. Bertman.,
Nighttime observations of anomalously high levels of hydroxyl radicals
above a deciduous forest canopy.
J. Geophys. Res.,
106,
24,315, 2001.
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