Sensitivity, Calibration and Uncertainty Developments for Aerosol Absorption Measurement using Photoacoustic Absorption Spectroscopy

Reducing the uncertainties in climate forcing due to aerosols is essential to provide meaningful and bounded model predictions of future climate. Light absorption by aerosols is one of the most uncertain and difficult quantities to measure. We will describe the development of a photoacoustic spectrometer capable of fast and sensitive measurement of aerosol absorption (detection limit = 0.08Mm-1 @ 30 sec). We will also describe a precise calibration method at atmospherically relevant absorption levels, independent validation of the technique and introduce a potential absorbing aerosol standard for measuring aerosol absorption.