Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-10-2013

Department

Atmospheric Sciences; Department of Physics

Abstract

A novel multi-wavelength photoacousticnephelometer spectrometer (SC-PNS) has been developed for the optical characterization of atmospheric aerosol particles. This instrument integrates a white light supercontinuum laser with photoacoustic and nephelometric spectroscopy to measure aerosol absorption and scattering coefficients at five wavelength bands (centered at 417, 475, 542, 607, and 675 nm). These wavelength bands are selected from the continuous spectrum of the laser (ranging from 400-2200 nm) using a set of optical interference filters. Absorption and scattering measurements on laboratory-generated aerosol samples were performed sequentially at each wavelength band. To test the instrument we measured the wavelength dependence of absorption and scattering coefficients of kerosene soot and common salt aerosols. Results were favorably compared to those obtained with a commercial 3-wavelength photoacoustic and nephelometer instrument demonstrating the utility of the SC light source for studies of aerosol optical properties at selected wavelengths. Here, we discuss instrument design, development, calibration, performance and experimental results.

Publisher's Statement

© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-6-3501-2013

Publication Title

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

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Publisher's PDF

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Physics Commons

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