Concept information
Preferred term
RSMS
Definition
- During a month in the summer of 1999, individual aerosol particles were sized and analyzed using a Rapid Single-particle Mass Spectrometer (RSMS) in Atlanta. RSMS aerodynamically focuses one particle size at a time to the source region of a mass spectrometer and employs a 193 nm excimer laser to desorb and ionize the particle components.The ions are analyzed in a single time-of-flight mass spectrometer and the spectrum is digitally recorded. Spectra are only saved if the ion peak in the spectrum is above a threshold level. Background spectra were determined and flagged. Particle size scans were initiated periodically and each size was sampled until 30 particle hits were obtained, unless the sampling time became excessive. Aerodynamic particle sizes ranged from about 40 to 1300 nm and were partitioned into nine discrete size classes logarithmically spaced, roughly, over the range. Single particle data are valuable because for instance a) they are collected and analyzed real ti me so have excellent temporal resolution, b) the particle-to-particle composition variations (external mixing properties) can be assessed, and c) key particle sources are easily identified since the particles retain source characteristics. The data resulting from these measurements consist of an aerodynamic particle size and a positive mass spectrum of the components for each particle, along with the date and time of measurement and other incidental measurement parameters such as the laser pulse energy. Support for RSMS measurements has been provided by the EPA Supersite program and additional funding from the EPA and NSF. [Summary provided by NASA] (en)
Broader concept
- Spectrometers (en)
URI
https://gcmd.earthdata.nasa.gov/kms/concept/0182b483-26de-4ba5-b0dd-2d44a5daeab2
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