Title
A DMA-train for precision measurement of sub 10-nm aerosoldynamics
Author
Abstract
Measurements of aerosol dynamics in the sub-10nm size range are crucially important for quantifying the impact of new particle formation onto the global budget of cloud condensation nuclei. Here we present the development and characterization of a differential mobility analyzer - train (DMA-train), operating six DMAs in parallel for high time-resolution particle size-distribution measurements below 10 nm. The DMAs are operated at six different but fixed voltages and hence sizes, together with six state-of-the-art condensation particle counters. Two Airmodus A 10 particle size magnifiers (PSM) are used for channels below 2.5 nm while sizes above 2.5nm are detected by TSI 3776 butanol or TSI 3788 water based CPCs.We report the transfer functions and characteristics of six identical Grimm S-DMAs as well as the calibration of a butanol-based TSI model 3776 CPC, a water-based TSI model 3788 CPC and an Aimodus A10 PSM. We find cut-off diameters similar to those reported in the literature. The performance of the DMA-train is tested with a rapidly changing aerosol of a tungsten oxide particle generator during warm-up. Additionally we report a measurement of new particle formation taken during a nucleation event in the CLOUD chamber experiment at CERN. We find that the DMA-train is able to bridge the gap between currently well-established measurement techniques in the cluster-particle transition regime, providing high time-resolution and accurate size information of neutral and charged particles even at atmospheric particle concentrations.
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:527551
Appeared in
Title
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions
From page
1
To page
24
Publication
Copernicus GmbH
Version type
Date issued
2016
Access rights
Rights
University of Vienna | Universitätsring 1 | 1010 Vienna | T
+43-1-4277-0