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Faculty Advisor

Richard F. Niedziela

Abstract

Wavenumber-dependent, complex refractive indices, or optical constants, in the mid-infrared for unused Pennzoil 0W-20 motor oil have been obtained from aerosol extinction spectroscopy at room temperature. The oil’s spectroscopy is dominated by carbon-hydrogen stretching modes similar to those observed in spectra for pure alkanes. These same characteristic features were observed in a previously reported motor oil study. The optical constants retrieved here are an addition to the small number of data sets in the scientific literature for organic compounds many of which are components of aerosols present in the lower troposphere, particularly in urban areas. Such data offer new perspectives for remote sensing communities that are interested in the detection and characterization of particulates in the atmosphere.

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