Measurements of the Particle Size Distribution of the Atmospheric Aerosol: I. Introduction and Experimental Methods

Abstract

Previous experimental measurements of particle size spectra of the atmospheric aerosol are reviewed. A four-stage impactor was used to sample the Baltimore aerosol in the size range above 0.4 microns in radius. Particle size was measured with an optical microscope. The size range below 0.1 microns was sampled with a novel rotating disk device and the particle size distribution was measured by electron microscopy. The theory of the disk as applied to the diffusion of aerosol particles is discussed.