Instrumentation

Innovative Instrumentation
Learn more about our Innovative Instrumentation

Instrument development at CSL goes back decades indicating that we have continually been a leader in producing extraordinary instruments over the last 40 years. The CSL nature of collaboration allows for worldwide expertise in pursuing the most intuitive designs which fall into the categories of innovation, evolution, and adaptation.

Research Programs Instrumentation

Refer to each research program for more information, i.e. decommissioned instruments:

Abbreviation Name Measurement Research Program Contact
ACES Airborne Cavity Enhanced Spectrometer CH3COCHO, CHOCHO, HONO, NO2 Tropospheric Chemistry Carrie Womack
Steve Brown
ACOS Airborne Carbonic Oxides and Sulfide Spectrometer Carbonyl sulfide (OCS), CO, CO2, H20 Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Drew Rollins
Colin Gurganus
ARNOLD Atmospheric Ring-down Nitrogen Oxide Laser Detector NO3, N2O5, NO, NO2, O3 Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
BBCES BroadBand Cavity Enhanced Spectrometer Aerosol extinction and refractive index Tropospheric Chemistry Carrie Womack
BrC-PILS Brown Carbon-Particle-Into-Liquid Sampler Water-soluble organic aerosol absorption and concentration Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
C-ToF AMS Compact Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer Aerosol composition Tropospheric Chemistry Ann Middlebrook
C2H6 Ethane TDL (tunable diode laser) C2H6 Tropospheric Chemistry Jeff Peischl
CARDINO CARIBIC Autonomous Ring-Down Instrument for Nitrogen Oxides NO, NO2, NO3, N2O5 Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
CMASS Coarse-Mode Aerosol Size Spectrometer Aerosol size distribution - Aerosol Microphysical Properties (AMP) suite Aerosol Properties & Processes Adam Ahern
CO2/CH4 Carbon Dioxide / Methane Picarro CO2, CH4 Tropospheric Chemistry Jeff Peischl
CPMA * Centrifugal Particle Mass Analyzer Mass/charge of selected aerosol particles Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Shuka Schwarz
CRD Cavity RingDown aerosol extention spectrometer Aerosol absorption and extinction - Aerosol Optical Properties (AOP) Aerosol Properties & Processes Adam Ahern
Chuck Brock
CRDS Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy Temperature and pressure dependent reaction rate coefficients, reaction product yields, absorption spectra, photolysis quantum yields Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
Dalek Leosphere 200S Commercial Doppler lidar Horizontal Wind, Turbulence, and Aerosol Backscatter Intensity Profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Sunil Baidar
ESI-Q-MS Electrospray Ionization Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Aqueous-phase chemistry, reaction mechanisms and product yields Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
FLOE Fish Lidar, Oceanic, Experimental Vertical profiles of fish and plankton in the ocean and aerosols in the lower atmosphere Atmospheric Remote Sensing Richard Marchbanks
FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer Infrared absorption spectra Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
FTIR-DRIFTS Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy Infrared absorption spectra of powdered solid samples Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
GC-MS Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry Non-methane hydrocarbons and other volatiles containing oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and halogens Tropospheric Chemistry Jessica Gilman
GC/(FID-EC)/MS Gas Chromatography (Flame Ionization Detection-Electron Capture) Mass Spectrometer Relative Rate (RR) kinetic measurements, Reaction product measurements, assessment of gas sample purity Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
HALO Halo Photonics StreamLine XR Commercial Doppler lidar Horizontal Wind, Turbulence, and Aerosol Backscatter Intensity Profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Sunil Baidar
HD-SP2 Humidified Dual Single Particle Soot Photometer Refractory black carbon Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Shuka Schwarz
HR-ToF AMS High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer Aerosol composition Tropospheric Chemistry Ann Middlebrook
HRDL High Resolution Doppler Lidar Horizontal Wind, Turbulence, and Aerosol Backscatter Intensity Profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Alan Brewer
I-ToF CIMS Iodide Ion Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer Reactive nitrogens, halogen oxides, others Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
iWAS Integrated Whole Air Sampler Gas-phase atmospheric sample collection for offline analysis by GC-MS Tropospheric Chemistry Jessica Gilman
LAS Laser Aerosol Spectrometer Aerosol size distribution Aerosol Properties & Processes Chuck Brock
LiNeph Laser Imaging Nephelometer Aerosol scattering Aerosol Properties & Processes Adam Ahern
LTOF-CIMS Long Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer with optional VOCUS Inlet for Aerosols (VIA) or Extractive Electrospray Ionization (EESI) Chemically detailed aerosol and trace gas composition Tropospheric Chemistry Carsten Warneke
Matt Coggon
Chelsea Stockwell
mACES miniature Airborne Cavity Enhanced Spectrometer NO2 Tropospheric Chemistry Carrie Womack
MicroDop Micro-pulse Doppler lidar Turbulence and Aerosol Backscatter Intensity Profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Alan Brewer
Mini-MOPA CO2 Doppler Lidar Horizontal Wind, Turbulence, and Aerosol Backscatter Intensity Profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Alan Brewer
miniSAP minature Scanning Aerosol Sun Photometer Vertical profile of aerosols Aerosol Properties & Processes Dan Murphy
MinOOE Mini-Optical Ocean Experiment Vertical profile of fish and plankton in the ocean Atmospheric Remote Sensing Richard Marchbanks
Mobile Lab Modified 15 passenger van Location, winds, temperature (T), pressure (P), and up to 5 configurable instrumentation racks Tropospheric Chemistry Ken Aikin
Jeff Peischl
N2O/CO/H2O Nitrous Oxide / Carbon Monoxide / Water Modified LGR (Los Gatos Research) N2O, CO, H2O Tropospheric Chemistry Jeff Peischl
NightFox Remote NightFox remote sensing payload IR, fire radiative power Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Troy Thornberry
NMASS Nucleation-Mode Aerosol Size Spectrometer Aerosol size distribution - Aerosol Microphysical Properties (AMP) suite Aerosol Properties & Processes Chuck Brock
NO-LIF Nitric Oxide Laser Induced Flouresence Nitric oxide Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Drew Rollins
NOxCaRD Nitrogen Oxides by Cavity Ring Down NO3, N2O5, NO, NO2, NOy, O3 Tropospheric Chemistry Carrie Womack
Steve Brown
NOyO3 Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone chemiluminescence NO, NO2, NOy, O3 Tropospheric Chemistry Jeff Peischl,
Kristen Zuraski
Nr Total Reactive Nitrogen Measurement of all nitrogen-containing compounds except N2 and N2O for emissions and calibration measurements Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Roberts
opCRD open path Cavity RingDown spectrometer Aerosol absorption and extinction Aerosol Properties & Processes Dan Murphy
PALMS Particle Analysis by Laser Mass Spectrometry Aerosol composition Aerosol Properties & Processes Dan Murphy
PALMS-NG Particle Analysis by Laser Mass Spectrometry - Next Generation Aerosol composition Aerosol Properties & Processes Dan Murphy
Gregory Schill
PAN CIMS PAN Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs) Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
Jim Roberts
PAS Photoacoustic Aerosol absorption Spectrometer Aerosol absorption - Aerosol Optical Properties (AOP) Aerosol Properties & Processes Adam Ahern
Chuck Brock
PLP-LIF Pulsed Laser Photolysis-Laser Induced Fluorescence Absolute kinetic measurements Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
PLP-RF Pulsed Laser Photolysis-Resonance Fluorescence Absolute reaction rate coefficients, photolysis quantum yields Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
POPS Portable Optical Particle Spectrometer Particle size and number Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Troy Thornberry
PTR-MS Proton Transfer Mass Spectrometer Detection of VOCs Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
PTR-ToF-MS Proton-Transfer Reaction high-resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Saturated, unsaturated, and oxygenated hydrocarbons; other volatiles Tropospheric Chemistry Matt Coggon
Carsten Warneke
Q-CIMS Quadrupole Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer Direct temperature and pressure kinetics measurements, gas phase and heterogeneous chemistry: Antarctic ozone hole studies Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
RONALD Reactive Oxides of Nitrogen NO3, N2O5 Tropospheric Chemistry Steve Brown
RR Relative Rate Reactor Temperature and pressure dependent reaction rate coefficients (OH, Cl, O3, and NO3), reaction mechanisms, reaction product yields Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
SMPS Scanning Mobility Size Spectrometer Aerosol size distribution Aerosol Properties & Processes Chuck Brock
SO2-LIF Sulfur Dioxide Laser Induced Flourescence Sulfur dioxide Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Drew Rollins
Pam Rickly
SOAP ruggedized cavity ringdown spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy Aerosol absorption, extinction, and single scattering albedo Aerosol Properties & Processes Adam Ahern
Chuck Brock
SP2 Single Particle Soot Photometer Refractory black carbon Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Shuka Schwarz
Strat-CIMS High altitude Chemical Ionization mass spectrometer N2O5, HNO2, halogens, oxygenated organics Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Drew Rollins
Gordon Novak
TOC Total Organic Carbon Absolute measurement of VOC compounds as CO2 in laboratory and ambient systems Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Roberts
TOPAZ Tunable Optical Profiler for Aerosol and oZone lidar Ozone concentration and aerosol backscatter profiles Atmospheric Remote Sensing Christoph Senff
Andy Langford
Raul Alvarez
UASO3 Unmanned Aircraft System Ozone Photometer Ozone Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Troy Thornberry
UHSAS Ultra-High Sensitivity Aerosol Spectrometer Aerosol size distribution - Aerosol Microphysical Properties (AMP) suite Aerosol Properties & Processes Chuck Brock
UV(CCD)/vis Spectrometer Ultra-violet/visible Spectrometer with Charge Coupled Device Absorption spectra, reaction mechanisms and product yields Chemical Processes & Instrument Development Jim Burkholder
Water Tunable Diode Laser absorption spectrometer Water vapor/total water Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Troy Thornberry
Drew Rollins
WIBS Wide Band Bioaerosol Sensor Bioaerosol size, characterization Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes Shuka Schwarz
WLOPC White-Light Optical Particle Counter Aerosol size and concentration Aerosol Properties & Processes Chuck Brock
Adam Ahern

* CSL has a Centrifugal Particle Mass Analyzer (CPMA), a device for selecting aerosol particles by their mass-to-charge ratio. The CPMA is available throughout the lab to help advance our science. Use the NOAA CSL CPMA Calendar to reserve the instrument.