ATM311 Simulations of Formation of Molecular Clusters

2. Course code

ATM311

Aikaisemmat leikkaavat opintojaksot 530060 Molekyyliklusterien muodostumissimulaatiot, 5 op.

3. Course status: optional

-Which degree programme is responsible for the course?
Master's Programme in Atmospheric Sciences

-Which module does the course belong to?
ATM300 Advanced Studies in Atmospheric Sciences (optional for Study Track in Aerosol Physics)
TCM300 Advanced Studies in Theoretical and Computational Methods

-Is the course available to students from other degree programmes?
Yes

4. Course level (first-, second-, third-cycle/EQF levels 6, 7 and 8)

Master’s level, degree programmes in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine = secondcycle
degree/EQF level 7
Doctoral level = third-cycle (doctoral) degree/EQF level 8

-Does the course belong to basic, intermediate or advanced studies (cf. Government Decree
on University Degrees)?
Advanced studies

5. Recommended time/stage of studies for completion

-The recommended time for completion may be, e.g., after certain relevant courses have
been completed

Anytime during MSc studies

6. Term/teaching period when the course will be offered

-The course may be offered in the autumn or spring term or both.
-If the course is not offered every year, this must be indicated here.
-Specification of the teaching period when the course will be offered

Every second or third year, depending on demand (last time period I autumn 2015)   IV period, alternating with ATM305 CLASSICAL NUCLEATION THEORY

7. Scope of the course in credits

5 cr

8. Teacher coordinating the course

Hanna Vehkamäki

• 9. Course learning outcomes

-Description of the learning outcomes provided to students by the course
- See the competence map (https://flamma.helsinki.fi/content/res/pri/HY350274).

You will learn to use Atmospheric Cluster Dynamics Code ACDC to simulate molecular cluster formation  from gas molecules and  cluster growth

You will understand 

• what happens in particle formation
• which factors affect cluster concentrations and formation rates
• that particle formation and growth are not two separate processes
• how cluster properties (e.g. evaporation rates) and external conditions (e.g. cluster removal processes) affect cluster distributions as well as  formation and growth rates.

10. Course completion methods

-Will the course be offered in the form of contact teaching, or can it be taken as a distance
learning course?
-Description of attendance requirements (e.g., X% attendance during the entire course or
during parts of it)
-Methods of completion

Exercises, a final project and  presentation of the project results

11. Prerequisites

-Description of the courses or modules that must be completed before taking this course or
what other prior learning is required

Basic  Matlab skills

12. Recommended optional studies

-What other courses are recommended to be taken in addition to this course?
-Which other courses support the further development of the competence provided by this
course?

13. Course content

-Description of the course content 

• Introduction to cluster formation and growth processes, and birth-death equations  describing these processes
• Learning to use Atmospheric Cluster Dynamics Code  (ACDC) and doing simulations
• Determining  particle formation and growth  rates in different conditions

14. Recommended and required literature

-What kind of literature and other materials are read during the course (reading list)?
-Which works are set reading and which are recommended as supplementary reading?

Lecture notes

15. Activities and teaching methods in support of learning

Combined lectures and computational hands-on  exercises

16. Assessment practices and criteria, grading scale

The grade will be determined based on exercises (50%) and the final  project report  (50%). Presentation is only graded as pass/fail.

17. Teaching language