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Centre for Atmospheric Science

NCAS Instrument table

This table lists the main instruments supported by NCAS which are hosted in the Centre for Atmopheric Science. Full description of each instrument can be found by following the links to the relevant section of the research tools area of this site.

Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer

Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer

The Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer is based on the principal of the mobility of a charged particle in an electric field and can produce aerosol spectra with a much higher temporal resolution than the DMPS, though the sampling statistics suffer.

Differential Mobility Particle Sizer

Differential Mobility Particle Sizer

The Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS) is an instrument designed to measure aerosol size spectra down to very small sizes. The UMIST DMPS currently measures particles from 3.5nm to about 470nm.

Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

Our group is currently developing and testing a new instrument, the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), for measuring the composition of airborne particles as a function of their size.

The Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (HTDMA)

Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser

The Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyser (HTDMA) is designed to measure size resolved aerosol hygroscopic properties, ie how an aerosol distribution responds to a change in relative humidity.

Airborne Droplet Analyser

Airborne Droplet Analyser

The Airborne Droplet Analyser measures cloud droplet diameter and velocity simultaneously, and is capable of measuring droplets in the size range of 0.5 - 200 microns with a better than 0.5 micron resolution.

Cloud Particle Imager

Cloud Particle Imager

The CPI can image and count particles in the size range of 15-2500um, with the images having a nominal 2.3um resolution and is a major improvement on existing imaging/shadowing probes such as the PMS 2D-C.

FGAM wind profiler

Radar Wind Profiler

The mobile wind profiler is a 'clear-air' UHF Doppler radar system designed by Degreane Horizon to measure both wind speed and direction 24 hours a day under all weather condition.

Lidar is short for Light Detection and Ranging, a remote sensing technique that uses laser light in much the same way that sonar uses sound, or radar uses radio waves.

Ozone and Aerosol LiDAR

Lidar is short for Light Detection and Ranging, a remote sensing technique that uses laser light in much the same way that sonar uses sound, or radar uses radio waves. SEAES uses a number of lidars to perform atmospheric measurements.

FGAM Portable Radio Sonde Instrument

Portable Radio Sonde Instrument

The Vaisala Radio-sounding RS90-AG attaches to a weather balloon and measures temperature, pressure, humidity and wind speed.

Tow-a-van Lab

Tow-a-van Lab

Used on many projects, including the NAMBLEX project, at Mace Head, Ireland 2002. The Tow-a-van mobile lab Has proved invaluable out in the field.

Container Lab

Container Lab

The CAS mobile laboratory. A shipping container fitted out with power, air conditioning, aerosol inlets etc. This facility has been used for many ground based and ship based projects around the world and provides sufficient space for the full suite of aerosol instruments.