Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS)

The AMS couples size-resolved particle sampling and mass spectrometric techniques into a single real-time measurement system. The Aerodyne AMS has been deployed world-wide at fixed sites, and on mobile laboratory, ship and aircraft platforms. Over 100 instruments are in use in industrial, academic and government laboratories. Two versions of the Aerodyne AMS are available. The Compact Time-of-Flight AMS (C-ToF-AMS) incorporates a high-performance, compact time-of-flight mass spectrometer and enables continuous monitoring of the mass spectra (1-800 m/z) of all sampled particles at rates as fast as 80 kHz. The detection limit for the C-ToF-AMS is the lowest of the two versions. The High-Resolution ToF AMS (HR-ToF-AMS) also enables continuous acquisition of complete mass spectra of individual particles, and enables the resolution of distinct chemical species based on mass defect. Algorithms are being developed which allow elemental analysis of HR-ToF-AMS data.