| Abstract: | A new mobile mass spectrometrical acquisition and evaluation system for on-line analysis of single airborne particles and for characterization of particle populations (aerosols), ''LAMPAS 2,'' is described. The modular aerosol inlet system of the instrument can be quickly exchanged with an alternate unit, providing for quasi-continuous long-term operation. The technical design allows for field operation with only a 9 A single phase power supply. Statistical evaluation of large numbers of single particle spectra is performed immediately after acquisition, resulting in a time course resolution for aerosol characterization of about 1 hr. The instrument was first employed in a joint field experiment ''LACE 98'' in July and August 1998, providing for chemical and physical characterization within the framework of other state-of-the-art technologies of characterizing the atmospheric aerosol. |
