Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer/Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) Handbook

Technical Report · Fri Jun 18 04:00:00 EDT 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/982072· OSTI ID:982072

Collins, D

The tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) is a single instrument that cycles through a series of complementary measurements of the physical properties of size-resolved submicron particles. In 2008, the TDMA was augmented through the addition of an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS), which extends the upper limit of the measured size distribution into the supermicron range. These two instruments are operated in parallel, but because they are controlled by a common computer and because the size distributions measured by the two are integrated in the produced datastreams, they are described together here. Throughout the day, the TDMA sequentially measures submicron aerosol size distributions and size-resolved hygroscopic growth distributions. More specifically, the instrument is operated as a scanning DMA to measure size distributions and as a TDMA to measure size-resolved hygroscopicity. A typical measurement sequence requires roughly 45 minutes. Each morning additional measurements are made of the relative humidity (RH) dependent hygroscopicity and temperature-dependent volatility of size-resolved particles. When the outside temperature and RH are within acceptable ranges, the hydration state of size-resolved particles is also characterized. The measured aerosol distributions complement the array of aerosol instruments in the Aerosol Observing System (AOS) and provide additional details of the light-scattering and cloud-nucleating characteristics of the aerosol.

• Research Organization: DOE Office of Science Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science and Technology (EM-50)
• OSTI ID: 982072
• Report Number(s): DOE/SC-ARM/TR-090
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AERODYNAMICS
AEROSOLS
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
DISTRIBUTION
HYGROSCOPICITY
MANUALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLE SIZE CLASSIFIERS
RETROFITTING