NASA logoCASEI Logo
NASA | CASEI
Arrow leftBack to Explore

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 changes in light transmission caused by aerosol particles. These measurements help determine aerosol absorption and extinction. The PSAP operates at three wavelengths (467, 530, and 660 nm) and has a 1-second time resolution. It is typically deployed on aircraft but 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

Optical/Photon
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Extinction
Troposphere
1 s
Point
638 THz, 574 THz, 454 THz
https://doi.org/10.1080/027868290901963External Link

Instrument Operation

SEAC4RS

Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys

2013
North America including portions of Canada, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 20 Data Products
INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006
North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 21 Data Products
DC3

Deep Convective Clouds & Chemistry

2012
Northeastern Colorado, West Texas to Central Oklahoma, Northern Alabama
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 19 Data Products
ARCTAS

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

2008
Alaska, Western Canada, California
view all deployment dates
3 Deployments
· 27 Data Products
The logo for the KORUS-AQ campaign
KORUS-AQ

Korean United States - Air Quality

2016
South Korean peninsula, including surrounding seas
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 20 Data Products
The logo for the FIREX-AQ campaign
FIREX-AQ

Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality

2019
Northwestern and Southeastern US
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 27 Data Products
SARP

Student Airborne Research Program

2009—2026
Southern California, Virginia
Ongoing
view all deployment dates
19 Deployments
· 25 Data Products
ASIA-AQ

Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality

2024
East and Southeast Asia, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 8 Data Products
ARCTAS

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

2008
Alaska, Western Canada, California
view all deployment dates
3 Deployments
· 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
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 77 Data Products
The logo for the ORACLES Campaign
ORACLES

Observations of Aerosols above Clouds and their Interactions

2016—2018
Southeastern Atlantic Ocean, Southern Africa
view all deployment dates
3 Deployments
· 8 Data Products
PEM

Pacific Exploratory Mission

1991—1999
Pacific Ocean
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 51 Data Products
ARCSIX

Arctic Radiation-Cloud-Aerosol-Surface Interaction EXperiment

2024
Greenland, Arctic Ocean
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 13 Data Products
SaSa

Student Airborne Science Activation Program

2022
Mid-Atlantic, Wallops Flight Facility
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CAMP2Ex

Clouds, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes-Philippines Experiment

2019
Philippines
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 12 Data Products
CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010
California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
ATR-42

ATR-42

1 Campaign · 16 Instruments
TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996
Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 5 Data Products
SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001
Southern Africa
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 110 Data Products
The logo for the NAAMES campaign
NAAMES

North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study

2015—2018
Northwestern Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 13 Data Products
INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006
North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 21 Data Products
MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006
Mexico City Metropolitan Area
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
C-131A

Convair C-131 Samaritan

5 Campaigns · 32 Instruments
TARFOX

Tropospheric Aerosol Radiative Forcing Observational Experiment

1996
Western Atlantic Ocean, US Eastern Seaboard
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 5 Data Products
LISTOS

Long Island Sound Tropospheric Ozone Study

2017—2019
New York City metropolitan and Long Island Sound area, Northeastern U.S.
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 17 Data Products
The logo for the KORUS-AQ campaign
KORUS-AQ

Korean United States - Air Quality

2016
South Korean peninsula, including surrounding seas
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 20 Data Products
OWLETS

Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study

2017—2018
Chesapeake Bay
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 12 Data Products
SAFARI 2000

Southern African Regional Science Initiative

1999—2001
Southern Africa
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 110 Data Products
The logo for the CLAMS Campaign
CLAMS

Chesapeake Lighthouse and Aircraft Measurements for Satellites

2001
Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 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
view all deployment dates
5 Deployments
· 131 Data Products
The logo for the NAAMES campaign
NAAMES

North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study

2015—2018
Northwestern Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 13 Data Products
CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010
California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CLASIC07

Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign 2007

2007
Southern Great Plains, Oklahoma, Kansas
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 7 Data Products
PACE-PAX

Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem Postlaunch Airborne eXperiment

2024
Southern and Central California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 14 Data Products
CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010
California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
The logo for the ACTIVATE campaign
ACTIVATE

Aerosol Cloud meTerology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment

2020—2022
Western North Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
6 Deployments
· 12 Data Products
INTEX-NA

Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America

2004—2006
North America, Gulf of Mexico, North Pacific Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 21 Data Products
CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010
Central Valley, California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CHAPS

Cumulus Humilis Aerosol Process Study

2007
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
ATOMIC

Atlantic Tradewind Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Interaction Campaign

2020
Tropical North Atlantic east of Barbados
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 1 Data Product
NAMMA

NASA African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses

2006
Cape Verde Islands, Atlantic Ocean
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 22 Data Products
MILAGRO

Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations

2006
Mexico City Metropolitan Area
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CARES

Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects Study

2010
Central Valley, California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CalNex

California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change

2010
California
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
CHAPS

Cumulus Humilis Aerosol Process Study

2007
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 0 Data Products
The logo for the DEVOTE campaign
DEVOTE

Development and Evaluation of satellite ValidatiOn Tools by Experimenters

2011
Eastern and Southeastern United States
view all deployment dates
1 Deployment
· 5 Data Products

Data Products

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

Campaigns
CAMPAIGNS
Platforms
PLATFORMS
Formats
FORMATS
Douglas DC-8
10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/TARFOX/0002External Link
10.5067/Suborbital/LISTOS/AircraftInSitu_UMDAircraft_Data_1External Link
10.5067/Suborbital/OWLETS-2/UMDAircraft_Data_1External Link
10.3334/ORNLDAAC/710External Link
Convair-580
P-3 Orion
GTE
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC/NAAMES_Aerosol_ShipInSitu_Data_1External Link
R/V Atlantis
ICARTT
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
ICARTT
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
10.3334/ORNLDAAC/720External Link
Douglas DC-8
10.5067/ASDC_DAAC/CLAMS/0005External Link
Convair-580
http://dx.doi.org/10.5067/NAMMA/MULTIPLE/DATA203External Link
Field Site
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/ACTIVATE_Merge_Data_1External Link
ICARTT
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_Maryland_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data_1External Link
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_California_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data_1External Link
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_Texas_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data_1External Link
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
10.5067/ASDC/SUBORBITAL/DISCOVERAQ_Colorado_Aerosol_AircraftInSitu_P3B_Data_1External Link
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
P-3 Orion
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
ICARTT
Douglas DC-8
ICARTT, JPEG
P-3 Orion
ICARTT, NetCDF
Douglas DC-8