Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM)
<p>New particle formation (NPF) is the atmospheric process whereby gas molecules react and nucleate to form detectable particles. NPF has a strong impact on Earth's radiative balance as it produces roughly half of global cloud condensation nuclei. However, the time resolution and sensitiv...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| Online Access: | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/197/2025/amt-18-197-2025.pdf |
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| author | D. Cheng D. Cheng S. Amanatidis G. S. Lewis C. N. Jen C. N. Jen |
| author_facet | D. Cheng D. Cheng S. Amanatidis G. S. Lewis C. N. Jen C. N. Jen |
| author_sort | D. Cheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>New particle formation (NPF) is the atmospheric process whereby gas molecules react and nucleate to form detectable particles. NPF has a strong impact on Earth's radiative balance as it produces roughly half of global cloud condensation nuclei. However, the time resolution and sensitivity of current instrumentation are inadequate in measuring the size distribution of sub-3 nm particles, the particles critical for understanding NPF. Here we present the Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM), a method to measure the concentrations of freshly nucleated particles. The CPC FARM consists of five CPCs operating in parallel, each configured to operate at different detectable particle sizes between 1–3 nm. This study explores two methods to calculate the size distribution from the differential measurements across the CPC channels. The performance of both inversion methods was tested against the size distribution measured by a pair of stepping particle mobility sizers (SMPSs) during an ambient air sampling study in Pittsburgh, PA. Observational results indicate that the CPC FARM is more accurate with higher time resolution and sensitivity in the sub-3 nm range compared to the SMPS.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-52b13831005140f1be8dde9f6b1cda35 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1867-1381 1867-8548 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| spelling | doaj-art-52b13831005140f1be8dde9f6b1cda352025-01-15T10:39:25ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482025-01-011819721010.5194/amt-18-197-2025Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM)D. Cheng0D. Cheng1S. Amanatidis2G. S. Lewis3C. N. Jen4C. N. Jen5Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USACenter for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USAAerosol Dynamics Inc., Berkeley, CA 94710, USAAerosol Dynamics Inc., Berkeley, CA 94710, USACenter for Atmospheric Particle Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USADepartment of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA<p>New particle formation (NPF) is the atmospheric process whereby gas molecules react and nucleate to form detectable particles. NPF has a strong impact on Earth's radiative balance as it produces roughly half of global cloud condensation nuclei. However, the time resolution and sensitivity of current instrumentation are inadequate in measuring the size distribution of sub-3 nm particles, the particles critical for understanding NPF. Here we present the Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM), a method to measure the concentrations of freshly nucleated particles. The CPC FARM consists of five CPCs operating in parallel, each configured to operate at different detectable particle sizes between 1–3 nm. This study explores two methods to calculate the size distribution from the differential measurements across the CPC channels. The performance of both inversion methods was tested against the size distribution measured by a pair of stepping particle mobility sizers (SMPSs) during an ambient air sampling study in Pittsburgh, PA. Observational results indicate that the CPC FARM is more accurate with higher time resolution and sensitivity in the sub-3 nm range compared to the SMPS.</p>https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/197/2025/amt-18-197-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | D. Cheng D. Cheng S. Amanatidis G. S. Lewis C. N. Jen C. N. Jen Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) Atmospheric Measurement Techniques |
| title | Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) |
| title_full | Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) |
| title_fullStr | Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) |
| title_short | Fast and sensitive measurements of sub-3 nm particles using Condensation Particle Counters For Atmospheric Rapid Measurements (CPC FARM) |
| title_sort | fast and sensitive measurements of sub 3 thinsp nm particles using condensation particle counters for atmospheric rapid measurements cpc farm |
| url | https://amt.copernicus.org/articles/18/197/2025/amt-18-197-2025.pdf |
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