Instrument

PSAP
Particle Soot Absorption Photometer

The Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP) is an in situ airborne photometer manufactured by Radiance Research. It applies Beer's Law to measure the change in light transmission of aerosol particles. These measurements help determine aerosol absorption and extinction. PSAP operates across three wavelengths (467, 530, and 660 nm) and has a 1-second time resolution. It is usually deployed on aircraft, but it can also be used on ships and vehicles.

NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica's tallest peak, Mount Vinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. Credit: NASA/Michael Studinger (Photography courtesy NASA Images)

Overview

Instrument Details

Measurement Type

Optical/Photon

Measurement/Variables

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols

Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Extinction

Vertical Measurement Regions

Troposphere

Temporal Resolution

1 s

Spatial Resolution

Point

Measurement Frequency

638 THz, 574 THz, 454 THz

Calibration Details

https://doi.org/10.1080/027868290901963

Online Information

https://doi.org/10.2172/1246162

Lead Investigator
Stephen Springston
Technical Contact
Stephen Springston
Instrument Maker
Radiance Research
Funding Source
Currently unavailable
Overview Publications
Currently unavailable
Repository
- Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)

Instrument Operation

Platform

Campaigns, where the platform was used with this instrument

DC-8

Douglas DC-8

43 Campaigns · 180 Instruments

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

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· 21 Data Products

FIREX-AQ

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

2019

Northwestern and Southeastern US

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· 26 Data Products

SARP

Student Airborne Research Program

2009—2030

Southern California, Virginia

Ongoing

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Deployment Dates

Start Date	End Date
2009-07-12	2009-08-13
2010-06-20	2010-07-30
2011-06-19	2011-07-29
2012-06-17	2012-08-10
2013-06-09	2013-08-02
2014-06-15	2014-08-08
2015-06-14	2015-08-07
2016-06-12	2016-08-05
2017-06-18	2017-08-11
2018-06-18	2018-08-10
2019-06-16	2019-08-09
2021-12-03	2021-12-10
2022-06-12	2022-08-05
2023-06-11	2023-08-04
2023-06-18	2023-08-11
2024-06-16	2024-08-09
2024-06-23	2024-08-16

· 0 Data Products

P-3

P-3 Orion

26 Campaigns · 139 Instruments

ARCTAS

Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites

2008

Alaska, Western Canada, California

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· 27 Data Products

DISCOVER-AQ

Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from COlumn and VERtically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality

2011—2014

Baltimore MD, San Joaquin Valley CA, Houston TX, Denver CO

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· 89 Data Products

SaSa

Student Airborne Science Activation Program

2022

Mid-Atlantic, Wallops Flight Facility

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· 0 Data Products

CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019

Philippines

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· 12 Data Products

ATR-42

1 Campaign · 16 Instruments

HyMeX

Hydrological Cycle in Mediterranean Experiment

2012

The Mediterranean

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· 3 Data Products

C-130

C-130 Hercules

18 Campaigns · 93 Instruments

TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996

Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard

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· 5 Data Products

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

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· 21 Data Products

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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· 0 Data Products

C-131A

Convair C-131 Samaritan

6 Campaigns · 32 Instruments

TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996

Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard

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· 5 Data Products

Cessna 402B

UMD Cessna 402B

5 Campaigns · 11 Instruments

LISTOS

Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

2017—2019

New York City metropolitan and Long Island Sound area, Northeastern U.S.

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· 17 Data Products

KORUS-AQ

Korean United States - Air Quality

2016

South Korean peninsula, including surrounding seas

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· 12 Data Products

OWLETS

Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

2017—2018

Chesapeake Bay

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· 12 Data Products

CV-580

Convair-580

8 Campaigns · 43 Instruments

SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001

Southern Africa

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· 117 Data Products

CLAMS

Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites

2001

Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean

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· 5 Data Products

FIRE

First International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) Regional Experiment

1986—1998

Central and Midwest United States, California Coast, Northwest Africa, Alaska

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· 131 Data Products

Atlantis

R/V Atlantis

1 Campaign · 13 Instruments

NAAMES

North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study

2015—2018

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean

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· 13 Data Products

Twin Otter

DeHavilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter

20 Campaigns · 73 Instruments

CLASIC07

Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign 2007

2007

Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas

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· 7 Data Products

PACE-PAX

Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment

2024

Southern and Central California

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· 0 Data Products

Falcon

Dassault Falcon 20-E5

6 Campaigns · 44 Instruments

ACTIVATE

Aerosol Cloud meTerology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment

2020—2022

Western North Atlantic Ocean

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· 12 Data Products

INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006

North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean

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· 21 Data Products

photo of the research vessel Ronald H Brown

R/V RHB

R/V Ronald H. Brown

3 Campaigns · 45 Instruments

CalWater

2015

California, Sierra Nevada Range

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· 0 Data Products

G-1

Gulfstream-159

2 Campaigns · 35 Instruments

CalWater

2015

California, Sierra Nevada Range

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· 0 Data Products

Field Site

Campaign Field Sites

Stationary

68 Campaigns · 162 Instruments

MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006

Mexico City Metropolitan Area

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· 0 Data Products

Data Products

Filter data products from this instrument by specific campaigns, platforms, or formats.

Campaigns

Platforms

Formats

INTEXA_DC8_AIRCRAFT10.5067/ASDCDAAC/INTEXA/0008

CampaignsIntercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

PlatformsDouglas DC-8

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational eXperiment - University of Washington instrumented C-131A aircraft Data Set10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/TARFOX/0002

CampaignsTropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

PlatformsConvair C-131 Samaritan

LISTOS University of Maryland Cessna Aircraft In-Situ Data10.5067/Suborbital/LISTOS/AircraftInSitu_UMDAircraft_Data_1

CampaignsLong Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

PlatformsUMD Cessna 402B

OWLETS-2 University of Maryland Cessna Aircraft Data10.5067/Suborbital/OWLETS-2/UMDAircraft_Data_1

CampaignsOzone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

PlatformsUMD Cessna 402B

SAFARI 2000 CV-580 Aerosol and Cloud Data, Dry Season 2000 (CARG)10.3334/ORNLDAAC/710

CampaignsSouthern African Regional Science Initiative

PlatformsConvair-580

INTEXB_C130_AIRCRAFT