Phosphorous in Planetary Atmospheres
Navn på bevillingshaver
Henrik Grum Kjærgaard
Titel
Professor
Institution
University of Copenhagen
Beløb
DKK 20,888,142
År
2024
Bevillingstype
Semper Ardens: Advance
Hvad?
The global geochemical cycles of elements describe the interconnected processes that recycle these elements in the environment. A prevalent dogma is that the element phosphorous (P), unlike other elements like carbon, does not have an atmospheric gas phase component of its geochemical cycle. In this project, we propose to discover the atmospheric P cycle.
Hvorfor?
Given the profound link between phosphorus and life (ATP, DNA, etc), molecules containing P are often a limiting nutrient in many terrestrial ecosystems and have been proposed as potential sign of life on planets. The missing atmospheric gas phase component of the P cycle limits our understanding of the potentially rapid transport of P on a global scale.
Hvordan?
In this project, we will conduct synergistic studies using theoretical computations and laboratory experiments in order to determine central gas phase components of the atmospheric P cycle. We will use the results to identify P compounds in existing field data and to elucidate its environmental impact from global chemistry model simulations.