ETBC Project

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This page is a means of communication and repository of information for the Collaborative ETBC project funded by NSF. Participants include NCAR, Colorado State University, and the University of Colorado.

Project News

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Update from Jim on 17 November 2009

We have hired Dr. John Ortega (PhD from CU) to work on the project.

Here's an update on (1) aerosol measurements at MFO and (2) aerosol chamber studies at NCAR.

(1) Aerosol Measurements at MFO

A. Particle Size Distribution (PSD) system. This is sitting in the lab at NCAR and basically ready for deployment. It was working fine when I turned it off (a few weeks ago), and was doing fine for several months prior to that so I am confident that it will work in Manitou without difficulties. This will be deployed to MFO on/before Jan 1 2010. Before deployment John will double-check instrument calibration. We will also work with NCAR computing staff to have real-time distributions posted on the MFO data web page.

B. CCN counter. Next week sometime Tony will come get it and take it to CSU and set it up to get size-segregated activated fraction as a function of SS. Once that is done then I suspect that someone from CSU will accompany an NCAR person (John?) to MFO for installation. Once again it would be nice to get these data posted on the web so we can monitor instrument health from Boulder. Also we will need to work with CSU to determine what the testing and calibration protocol should be while it is out at MFO. We should have this also measuring before 1 Jan 2010.

C. The nano-SMPS that is currently out at MFO has been running more-or-less continuously for months, and is fulfilling an important role in collecting data for this period during which we are preparing the "real instruments" that we'll deploy there permanently. On our next visit we will make sure it's working, also recalibrate the flows and HV. Then we will allow it to run for awhile side-by-side with the PSD. Around the end of Jan 2010 we may wish to have it back in Boulder.

(2) Aerosol Chamber Studies

Work at the NCAR aerosol chamber will commence in December, once John arrives at NCAR. John and Kelley Barsanti will get things running with the chamber (following several months of inactivity). They will probably start with some simple aerosol experiments, but the goal is to immediately start work on ETBC-relevant studies. Details will be announced once things get going next month.

Update from Jose on 17 November 2009

We have taken the first steps for the organization of the BEACHON-MFO-2011 Field Study:

• An email list has been set up <beachon-srm-2011@lists.colorado.edu>, email Jose if you want to be added to it. I am exploring whether the name can be changed to <beachon-mfo-2011@lists.colorado.edu>.
• A List of Instrumentation including power and space needs has been compiled. (If you want to participate or add instrumentation which is not currently listed, please let us know). We have recruited two PBAP instruments from Europe as well as other collaborators on SOA and other measurements.
• At present we are short on power by about a factor of 2. Thomas Karl has a similar problem for the 2010 Summer intensive, and we are going to meet with the NCAR Electrical Engineer (Dave Patterson) in the near future to discuss strategies for increasing the power at the site during the campaigns.