Articles | Volume 10, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4341-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-4341-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
14 Nov 2017
Research article |
| 14 Nov 2017
On the parametrization of optical particle counter response including instrument-induced broadening of size spectra and a self-consistent evaluation of calibration measurements
Adrian Walser
Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Meteorological Institute, Munich, Germany
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Daniel Sauer
German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Antonio Spanu
University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Aerosol Physics and Environmental Physics, Vienna, Austria
Josef Gasteiger
University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Aerosol Physics and Environmental Physics, Vienna, Austria
Bernadett Weinzierl
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
University of Vienna (UNIVIE), Aerosol Physics and Environmental Physics, Vienna, Austria
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- PM2.5 exposure differences between children and adults L. Harr et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2022.101198
- Assessing the accuracy of low-cost optical particle sensors using a physics-based approach D. Hagan & J. Kroll https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-6343-2020
- Characterization of the airborne aerosol inlet and transport system used during the A-LIFE aircraft field experiment M. Schöberl et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-2761-2024
- Characterising low-cost sensors in highly portable platforms to quantify personal exposure in diverse environments L. Chatzidiakou et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-4643-2019
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- Retrieval of microphysical properties of dust aerosols from extinction, backscattering and depolarization lidar measurements using various particle scattering models Y. Chang et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6787-2025
- Determining the cutoff diameter and counting efficiency of optical particle counters with an aerodynamic aerosol classifier and an inkjet aerosol generator S. Tran et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2020.1777252
- Compact cavity-enhanced aerosol detector using incoherent light sources J. Williamson et al. https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.540296
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- Profiles of cloud condensation nuclei, dust mass concentration, and ice-nucleating-particle-relevant aerosol properties in the Saharan Air Layer over Barbados from polarization lidar and airborne in situ measurements M. Haarig et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-13773-2019
- A review of coarse mineral dust in the Earth system A. Adebiyi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeolia.2022.100849
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- A combined observational and modelling approach to evaluate aerosol–cirrus interactions at high and mid-latitudes E. De La Torre Castro et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5879-2026
- Aerosol Physical Characteristics over the Yellow Sea Using Optical Particle Counter Measurement Data Onboard Gisang1 Vessel during the YES-AQ Campaign D. Shin et al. https://doi.org/10.5572/KOSAE.2022.38.2.203
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Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 23 Jun 2026
Short summary
We present a new approach to model the response of optical particle counters (OPCs) including a simple parametrization for artificial broadening of size spectra induced by the non-ideal behavior of real OPCs. We show a self-consistent way to evaluate calibration measurements and outline how particle number size distributions with realistic uncertainty estimates can be derived. The innovations will improve the accuracy of OPC-derived size distributions and allow to assess their precision.
We present a new approach to model the response of optical particle counters (OPCs) including a...
