RAPID: A Field Intercomparison of High-Resolution Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometers

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This project involves deployment of a High-Resolution Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (HR-PTR-ToF MS) during the August 2010 BEACHON-ROCS (Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics & Nitrogen - Rocky Mountain Organic Carbon Study) field campaign in the Manitou Forest, Colorado. This will be the first deployment of this type of novel, commercially available instrument in a field campaign. During ROCS a similar HR-PTR-ToF MS will be on site and operated by the developers of the commercial instrument. In addition, various other organic trace gas analyzers will be in place, constituting a comprehensive VOC intercomparison study that will allow detailed evaluation of the operation characteristics of the HR-PTR-ToF MS technology under real field conditions. The instrument's fast response time and very low detection limit makes it very suitable for the kinds of VOC flux measurements that will be conducted during BEACHON-ROCS yielding potentially significant insights into biogenic VOC emissions and their subsequent atmospheric chemistry in a sparse forest environment. Measurement of the fluxes of oxygenated VOCs from the forest using HR-PTR-ToF MS will be attempted for the first time.This HR-PTR-ToF MS deployment will allow evaluation of the performance of this new investigative tool and inaugurate its application in atmospheric chemistry field research. Close interaction with the manufacturer will ensure the optimal advancement of this novel technology with regard to the hardware, software, and data analytical aspects. Broader impacts also will include the exposure of a graduate student and a technician to a large field campaign for the first time. They will work with scientists from different fields and institutions as well as the developers of the HR-PTR-ToF MS. This acquired expertise will tremendously benefit their scientific and academic career development.