A paper co-authored by Associate Professor Jiang Jingkun of SOE and several other scientists from the University of Minnesota, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Augsburg College, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory in the U.S., was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper, published under the title, Acid-Base Chemical Reaction Model for Nucleation Rates in the Polluted Atmospheric Boundary Layer, presents the formation mechanism of secondary particles from gases including sulphuric acid gas. The theory in the paper predicts the nucleation rate better than the current nucleation theories.

The existence of atmospheric particles strongly determines air quality, thus influencing human health and the global climate. An indicator of the atmospheric particle quality—PM2.5, has been included in the Ambient Air Quality Standards issued by Chinese government this year. Dr. Jiang has been also working on the research and development of monitoring equipment of nano-sized particles and organic amines. The results were published in three papers in Aerosol Science and Technology (AS&T) and one paper in Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T). The research contributes to the investigation onthe formation, environmental effects and control of the atmospheric particles.