Aethalometer® AE36s: Advanced Black & Brown Carbon Analyzer

Next-Generation Multi-Wavelength Aerosol Analysis for Climate & Health Research

The Aethalometer® AE36s pushes the boundaries of aerosol science by expanding the spectral analysis of carbonaceous particles. Building on the globally trusted DualSpot™ technology, this instrument introduces 9-wavelength analysis (340 nm to 950 nm) to provide unprecedented insight into Brown Carbon (BrC) and Black Carbon (BC) interactions.

While traditional analyzers focus solely on black carbon, the AE36s is specifically engineered to close the data gap in the UV spectrum. By adding 340 nm and 400 nm measurement channels, it offers superior resolution for distinguishing between biomass burning, fossil fuel emissions, and complex organic aerosols. Designed for resilience, the AE36s features advanced active humidity compensation, ensuring 500% better stability in fluctuating environmental conditions compared to standard filter-based photometers.

Key Benefits

• Expanded Spectral Range (UV-IR): The 9-wavelength configuration (including new 340 nm and 400 nm channels) allows for precise characterization of Brown Carbon absorption, essential for accurate radiative forcing calculations and climate modeling.

• DualSpot™ Loading Compensation: Patented technology eliminates the "filter loading effect" by measuring on two spots simultaneously at different flow rates, guaranteeing linear and artifact-free data in real-time.

• Humidity-Robust Design: An enhanced active compensation mechanism protects measurements against rapid changes in relative humidity, making the AE36s ideal for non-conditioned environments or field campaigns where air conditioning is unstable.

• Automatic Data Validation: Integrated status controls automatically flag invalid data, significantly reducing the post-processing workload for Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) teams.

Technical Overview

The AE36s utilizes a sophisticated 9-wavelength optical absorption technique. By measuring light attenuation through particle-laden filter tape at specific wavelengths (340, 370, 400, 470, 520, 570, 630, 880, 950 nm), it constructs a complete absorption spectrum every second.

Advanced Source Apportionment:

The instrument's extended UV range refines the calculation of the Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE). This allows researchers to separate traffic emissions (fossil fuel) from wood smoke (biomass burning) with higher confidence and investigate the optical properties of secondary organic aerosols (Brown Carbon) that strongly absorb in the near-UV range.

Operational Efficiency:

• Sensitivity: <10 ng/m³ (at 1 min, 5 LPM).

• Time Resolution: 1 Hz (1 second) fundamental sampling rate for capturing rapid plume events.

• Integration: Fully compatible with the TCA08 Total Carbon Analyzer to form the CASS (Carbonaceous Aerosol Speciation System) for a complete organic/elemental carbon fingerprint.

Typical Use Cases

• Climate Change Research: Investigating the "warming" vs. "cooling" effects of different aerosol types (Brown Carbon vs. Black Carbon).

• Advanced Source Apportionment: Distinguishing between specific combustion sources in complex urban or rural atmospheres.

• Health Impact Studies: Analyzing the toxicity of organic aerosols associated with biomass burning and solid fuel heating.

• Atmospheric Optics: Validating satellite or remote sensing data with ground-truth absorption spectra.

Why Choose This Analyzer?

The Aethalometer® AE36s is the instrument for scientists who need more than just a standard "Black Carbon" number. It is designed for those exploring the chemistry and optics of the atmosphere. If your monitoring objectives include Brown Carbon quantification or operating in environments with challenging humidity swings, the AE36s offers the specific upgrades necessary to maintain data integrity where older models might struggle.

Specifications

• Measured Components:

  Black Carbon (BC), Brown Carbon (BrC), UV-absorbing Particulate Matter, Source Apportionment (Fossil Fuel vs. Biomass).

• Applications:

  Climate research, advanced air quality networks, aerosol optical depth studies, brown carbon characterization, atmospheric radiative forcing analysis.

• Certifications:

  NIST-traceable optical validation; Compliant with WMO/GAW recommendations for aerosol absorption; DualSpot™ technology (Patented).

• Measurement Principle:

  9-Wavelength Filter-Based Optical Absorption Photometer (340, 370, 400, 470, 520, 570, 630, 880, 950 nm) with DualSpot™ loading compensation.