AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
The SP-AMS Inter-Comparison Campaign
AMEWU A. MENSAH, Joel Corbin, Sanna Saarikoski, Axel Eriksson, Martin Gysel, Raphael Färber, Berko Sierau, Manuel Abegglen, Veronika Hladnik, André Welti, Ulrike Lohmann, ETH Zurich, Institute for Atmospheric & Climate Science
Abstract Number: 280 Working Group: Carbonaceous Aerosols in the Atmosphere
Abstract Black carbon (BC) has gained increasing attention by the society since the WHO has declared diesel soot as carcinogenic. Up to now, the quantitative measurement as well as the chemical characterization of BC is still a challenging task. Recent instrumental advances allow to evolve a better understanding of soot in general and individual features of different types specifically. Lately, the Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS), an instrument well established in the atmospheric research community, was extended by a 1064 nm laser to allow for the evaporation and mass spectrometric analysis of soot particles (Soot Particle (SP-)AMS).
Here, we present first results of the SP-AMS inter-comparison campaign, which took place 7. - 22.03.2013 at ETH Zurich. Main focus of the campaign was the investigation of the qualitative and quantitative sensitivity of the SP-AMS to different types of soot (Regal Black, propane flame generated CAST brown/black, Palas GFG, fullerene soot a.p., and ambient). Beside the thorough mass spectrometric investigation by three SP-AMS’ from Lund University, FMI Helsinki, and ETHZ a whole range of physical parameters were analyzed. A combination of particle mass analyzers (CPMA and APM), single particle soot photometer (SP2), differential mobility analyzer (DMA) and thermodenuder was used to obtain independent measurements of total particulate and BC mass concentrations as well as the mass fraction of non-refractory coatings.
We discuss the mass calibration factor of BC in the SP-AMS, the individual mass spectrometric features of the different soot types, and new insights into the fragmentation pattern of BC. Additionally, we present direct application of our laboratory findings to ambient measurements, which were performed in a street canyon of a heavily trafficked road during that campaign.