TONOKURA Kenichi
(Professor/Division of Environmental Studies)
Department of Environment Systems/Atmospheric Chemistry, Environmental Monitoring
Career Summary
1992: Ph.D., Hokkaido University
1993: Research Associate, Institute for Molecular Science
1997: Research Associate, University of Tokyo
2003: Associate Professor, University of Tokyo
2011: Professor, University of Tokyo
Educational Activities
Graduate school: Reaction Systems Engineering
Faculty of Engineering: Environment Systems Engineering I
Research Activities
Air quality issues are the result of interplay between the following factors: chemical reactions, climate, and mass transport. To reduce the negative environmental impact of atmosphere, we need to identify as well as understand the reaction mechanisms that occur in the atmosphere and recognize the effect of these mechanisms on the environment as a whole. The research our laboratory performs is based on the belief that new interpretations of homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions occurring in the troposphere and stratosphere are important in the development of countermeasures against global warming. Thus, our laboratory uses several methods to conduct atmospheric chemistry research and to perform high-sensitivity measurement of atmospheric trace species.
Literature
1) K. Tanaka and K. Tonokura, "Sensitive measurements of CO2 stable carbon isotopes with wavelength modulation spectroscopy near 2000 nm", Appl. Phys. B, DOI 10.1007/s00340-011-4666-1 (2011).
2) Y. Yamamoto, H. Sumizawa, H. Yamada, and K. Tonokura, "Simultaneous monitoring of NO and NO2 in automotive exhaust gas using cavity ring-down spectroscopy", Appl. Phys. B, DOI 10.1007/s00340-010-4138-z (2011).
3) Y. Sakamoto, K. Tanaka, T. Asakawa, and K. Tonokura, "Wavelength modulation spectroscopy detection of N2O using mid-infrared laser from a direct-bonded quasi-phase-matched LiNbO3 ridge waveguide", Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 50, 062401 (2011).
4) A. T. Archibald, K. Tonkura, M. Kawasaki, C. J. Percival, and D. E. Shallcross, "On the Impact of HO2-H2O Complexes in the Marine Boundary Layer: A Possible Sink for HO2", Terrestrial Atmospheric Oceanic Sci. 22, 71-78 (2011).
5) J.-H. Xing, K. Takahashi, A. Yabushita, T. Kinugawa, T. Nakayama, Y. Matsumi, K. Tonokura, A.Takami, T. Imamura, M. Kawasaki, T. Hikida, and A. Shimono, ?gCharacterization of aerosol particles observed in the Tokyo metropolitan area in summer 2008 by two aerosol mass spectrometers", Aerosol Sci. Tech. 45, 315 (2011).
6) S. Miyano and K. Tonokura, "Mid-infrared spectroscopy in the v3 band of the hydroperoxyl radical using a continuous wave quantum cascade laser", J. Mol. Spectrosc. 264, 47 (2011).
Other Activities
The Chemical Society of Japan
Japan Society for Atmospheric Environment
Japan Geoscience Union
Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan
Combustion Society of Japan
The Mass Spectrometry Society of Japan
The Spectroscopical Society of Japan
Japan Society for Molecular Science
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Future Plan
Trace gas analysis has a key role in investigation of the atmospheric environment. One of the goal of our laboratory is to develop new analytical methods to understand the fate of the atmospheric environment.
Messages to Students
I hope young students will join us in our mission in atmospheric environment studies.