Most rocket engines burn some type of hydrocarbon, and the exhaust therefore emits, among other things, black carbon. Black carbon is also emitted by airplanes, but they all fly below the tropopause. Black carbon in the Arctic stratosphere has never been released in the quantities we are now about to see. Black carbon can alter the temperature balance in the atmosphere, and also destroy ozone. It is therefore of extreme importance to understand how we are impacting the atmosphere and climate by launching orbital rockets from Norway.
This project can focus on different aspects depending on the interest of the student, some possible options are:
- Rocket fuel calculations and estimates; what are the components of the exhaust and how much is emitted at different altitudes for the Spectrum rocket per launch?
- What is the residence time and lifetime of black carbon in the polar atmosphere
- Developing a measurement strategy for how to observe the rocket exhaust plume and its effects
ECTS: 30 or 60 ECTS are possible, with start August 2027/January 2028