UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 14, Page 6
December 7, 1995
Anthony Wexler receives Whitby Award for research

     In October, Anthony Wexler, associate professor of mechanical
engineering, received the Kenneth T. Whitby Award from the American
Association for Aerosol Research for "outstanding contributions to
aerosol science and technology as a beginning scientist."
     Each year, the organization gives awards to two senior
researchers and one junior researcher nationwide.
     Wexler has three major projects under way in the field of aerosol
science-the study of particles in the atmosphere. Wexler's research
involves the source of particles in the atmosphere and their effect on
the climate and human health.
     The first is a theoretical approach, based on physical and
chemical fundamentals, to deduce the processes that govern the
composition of the atmosphere.
     "There are innumerable kinds of particles in the atmosphere, and
emissions, as diverse as dust, automobile emissions, tire wear, power
plant stacks, sea spray and atmospheric gases, affect the particle
composition in the atmosphere," Wexler said.
     His second project involves complex mathematical computer
simulations of air quality in such locations as Los Angeles, the
Eastern seaboard and Mexico City. Factoring in such determinants as
emissions and meteorology, Wexler mathematically predicts air quality
under given conditions.
     He compares his models with the measurements of actual conditions
to determine the accuracy of his model.
     "These regions have serious air pollution episodes, and this
research can help predict under what conditions these problems occur,
and how emission controls and other steps can improve air quality," he
said.
     His third project, with Murray Johnston, associate professor of
chemistry and biochemistry, is the development of an instrument to
measure particles in the atmosphere.
     The instrument is one of only five in the world, Wexler said.
     Through a nozzle, the instrument separates particles from ambient
gas. An ultra violet laser ablates and ionizes the particles, and the
resulting ions are then analyzed in a mass spectrometer.
     In addition to these projects in the field of aerosol science,
Wexler is using mathematical modeling in biomedical research to learn
how kidneys concentrate urine and the effects of ambient particles on
human lungs.
     With Stuart Binder-Macleod, associate professor of physical
therapy, he is developing mathematical models of skeletal muscle
response to functional electrical stimulation.
     A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Wexler
received his master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and his doctorate from California Institute of Technology.
     His research is being funded by International Business Machines
Inc., the Electric Power Research Institute, the National Science
Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, California Air
Resources Board and others.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure