Articles | Volume 18, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1537-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1537-2025
Research article
 | 
03 Apr 2025
Research article |  | 03 Apr 2025

An algorithm for automatic fitting and formula assignment in atmospheric mass spectra

Valter Mickwitz, Otso Peräkylä, Frans Graeffe, Douglas Worsnop, and Mikael Ehn

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Cited articles

Alton, M. W., Stark, H. J., Canagaratna, M. R., and Browne, E. C.: Generalized Kendrick analysis for improved visualization of atmospheric mass spectral data, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 16, 3273–3282, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-3273-2023, 2023. a
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Boesl, U.: Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry: Introduction to the Basics, Mass Spectrom. Rev., 36, 86–109, https://doi.org/10.1002/mas.21520, 2017. a
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Cubison, M. J. and Jimenez, J. L.: Statistical precision of the intensities retrieved from constrained fitting of overlapping peaks in high-resolution mass spectra, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 8, 2333–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-2333-2015, 2015. a, b
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Short summary
This work presents and evaluates an algorithm that automatically conducts the steps of fitting peaks and identifying formulas – necessary but time-consuming steps for most applications of mass spectrometry in atmospheric science. The aim of the algorithm is to save researchers working on these tasks significant amounts of time and allow them to proceed with their analysis. The work demonstrates that this algorithm can achieve the goal of speeding up analysis and provide accurate formulas.
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