Accurate representation of atmospheric aerosol properties is a long-standing problem in atmospheric research. Modern pilotless aerial systems provide a new platform for atmospheric in-situ measurement. However, small airborne platforms require miniaturized instrumentation due to apparent size, power, and weight limitations. A Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer (POPS) is an emerged instrument to measure ambient aerosol size distribution with high time and size resolution, designed for deployment on a small unmanned aerial system (UAS) or tethered balloon system (TBS) platforms. This study evaluates the performance of the POPS under different environmental conditions and with the aerosols of various chemical composition and morphology. Results of comparison between POPS and several other sensors, including its full-size airborne ‘sibling’ instruments – Passive Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe (PCASP) and Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer (UHSAS), are reported. The main goal of the current work is to provide practical guidance on using the POPS for the in-situ airborne measurements.
Revised: November 16, 2020 |
Published: November 5, 2020