Summary
Professional Experience
- Present: Professor, Physics Department, University of Nevada Reno.
- 2005–Present: Associate Professor, Physics Department, University of Nevada Reno.
- 2001–Present: Research Professor, Desert Research Institute, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Reno, Nevada
- 1996–2001: Associate Research Professor, Atmospheric Sciences Center, DRI
- 1995–2002: Assistant Director, Atmospheric Sciences Program, Univ. of Nevada, Reno
- 1992–1996: Assistant Research Professor, Atmospheric Sciences Center, DRI
- 1991–Present: Adjunct Visiting Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Physics Department, University of Mississippi, Oxford
- 1988–1991: Postdoctoral Scientist, National Center for Physical Acoustics, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
- 1984–1988: Research/Teaching Assistant, Washington State University, Pullman
- 1984: American Physical Society Summer Intern, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, California
- 1983: Research Assistant, University of Southern Colorado, Pueblo
Research Interests
Synergistic Activities- I develop and deploy photoacoustic instruments for measurement of black carbon emission from vehicles in source sampling, and in ambient air quality studies. These measurements are often combined with other real time particulate emission measurements for the larger purpose of establishing detailed knowledge of the conditions giving rise to most of the black carbon and particulate emission to the atmosphere, and their environmental impacts. I also teach courses in the Atmospheric Sciences Program and Physics Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. For example, my course in Atmospheric Radiation Transfer takes a hands-on approach. Students learn the theory of FTIR instruments, then use one to make measurements of the downwelling IR spectral radiance from 500 to 2000 1/cm. With this motivation, students develop a theoretical understanding, and numerical model, that seeks to explain their measurements. A simple 1-D model is developed and explored to understand multiple scattering.
Education
- Ph.D., Physics 1988 Washington State Univ., Pullman
- M.S., Physics 1986 Washington State Univ., Pullman
- B.S., Physics 1984 Univ. of Southern Colorado, Pueblo
Publications
- Arnott, W. P., K. Hamasha, H. Moosmueller, P. J. Sheridan and J. A. Ogren (2004). "Towards aerosol light absorption measurements with a 7-wavelength Aethalometer: Evaluation with a photoacoustic instrument and a 3 wavelength nephelometer." Aerosol Science & Technology 2005, 39, 17-29.
- Moosmller, H.; Varma, R.; Arnott, W. P., (2005). "Cavity Ring-Down and Cavity-Enhanced Detection Techniques for the Measurement of Aerosol Extinction." Aerosol Science & Technology, 39, 30-39.
- Sheridan, P. J.; Arnott, W. P.; Ogren, J. A.; Anderson, B. E.; Atkinson, D. B.; Covert, D. S.; Moosmuller, H.; Petzold, A.; Schmid, B.; Strawa, A. W.; Varma, R.; Virkkula, A., (2005). "The Reno aerosol optics study: An Evaluation of Aerosol Absorption Measurement Methods." Aerosol Science & Technology. 39, 1-16.
- Arnott, W. P.; Walker, J. W.; Moosmller, H.; Elleman, R. A.; Haflidi, H.; Buzorius, G.; Conant, W. C.; Flagan, R. C.; Seinfeld, J. H., (2006). "Photoacoustic Insight for Aerosol Light Absorption Aloft from Meteorological Aircraft and Comparison with Particle Soot Absorption Photometer Measurements: The DOE Southern Great Plains Climate Research Facility and the Coastal Stratocumulus Imposed Perturbation Experiments." Journal of Geophysical Research 111, D05S02, doi:10.1029/2005JD005964.
- Arnott, W. P., H. Moosmller, P. J. Sheridan, J. A. Ogren, R. Raspet, W. V. Slaton, J. L. Hand, S. M. Kreidenweis and J. L. Collett (2003). "Photoacoustic and filter-based ambient aerosol light absorption measurements: Instrument comparisons and the role of relative humidity." Journal of Geophysical Research 108, 4034.