AAAR 33rd Annual Conference
October 20 - October 24, 2014
Rosen Shingle Creek
Orlando, Florida, USA
Abstract View
A Small, Sensitive, Light-weight, and Disposable Aerosol Spectrometer for Balloon and UAV Applications
Ru-Shan Gao, HAGEN TELG, Timothy Bates, Richard McLaughlin, Laurel Watts, Steven Ciciora, James Johnson, Joshua P. Schwarz, Anne Perring, Andrew Rollins, Troy Thornberry, David Fahey, NOAA/CIRES
Abstract Number: 396 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract In-situ sampling with particle size spectrometers is an important method to provide detailed size spectra for atmospheric aerosol in the troposphere and stratosphere. The spectra are essential for understanding aerosol sources and aerosol chemical evolution and removal, and for aerosol remote sensing validation. These spectrometers are usually bulky, heavy, and expensive, thereby limiting their application to specific airborne platforms. Here we report a new type of small and light-weight optical aerosol particle size spectrometer that is sensitive enough (150 – 2500 nm diameter detection range) for many aerosol applications yet is inexpensive enough to be disposable. 3D printing is used for producing structural components for simplicity and low cost. Weighing less than 1 kg individually, we expect these spectrometers can be deployed successfully on small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and up to 25 km on weather balloons. Immediate applications include the study of Arctic haze using the Manta UAS, detection of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer in the Asian monsoon system and SAGE III validation onboard weather balloons. Results from recent test flights onboard the Manta UAS will be presented.