In this paper we present recent achievements on developing and testing a tool to detect the composition of ambient ions in the mass/charge range up to 2000 Th. The instrument is an Atmospheric ...Pressure Interface Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (APi-TOF, Tofwerk AG). Its mass accuracy is better than 0.002%, and the mass resolving power is 3000 Th/Th. In the data analysis, a new efficient Matlab based set of programs (tofTools) were developed, tested and used. The APi-TOF was tested both in laboratory conditions and applied to outdoor air sampling in Helsinki at the SMEAR III station. Transmission efficiency calibrations showed a throughput of 0.1–0.5% in the range 100–1300 Th for positive ions, and linearity over 3 orders of magnitude in concentration was determined. In the laboratory tests the APi-TOF detected sulphuric acid-ammonia clusters in high concentration from a nebulised sample illustrating the potential of the instrument in revealing the role of sulphuric acid clusters in atmospheric new particle formation. The APi-TOF features a high enough accuracy, resolution and sensitivity for the determination of the composition of atmospheric small ions although the total concentration of those ions is typically only 400–2000 cm−3. The atmospheric ions were identified based on their exact masses, utilizing Kendrick analysis and correlograms as well as narrowing down the potential candidates based on their proton affinities as well isotopic patterns. In Helsinki during day-time the main negative ambient small ions were inorganic acids and their clusters. The positive ions were more complex, the main compounds were (poly)alkyl pyridines and – amines. The APi-TOF provides a near universal interface for atmospheric pressure sampling, and this key feature will be utilized in future laboratory and field studies.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We present a new instrument for monitoring aerosol composition, the time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ToF-ACSM), combining precision state-of-the-art time-of-flight mass ...spectrometry with stability, reliability, and easy handling, which are necessities for long-term monitoring operations on the scale of months to years. Based on Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) technology, the ToF-ACSM provides continuous online measurements of chemical composition and mass of non-refractory submicron aerosol particles. In contrast to the larger AMS, the compact-sized and lower-priced ToF-ACSM does not feature particle sizing, similar to the widely-used quadrupole-ACSM (Q-ACSM). Compared to the Q-ACSM, the ToF-ACSM features a better mass resolution of M/ΔM = 600 and better detection limits on the order of < 30 ng m−3 for a time resolution of 30 min. With simple upgrades these limits can be brought down by another factor of ~ 8. This allows for operation at higher time resolutions and in low concentration environments. The associated software packages (single packages for integrated operation and calibration and analysis) provide a high degree of automation and remote access, minimising the need for trained personnel on site. Intercomparisons with Q-ACSM, C-ToF-AMS, nephelometer and scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) measurements, performed during a first long-term deployment (> 10 months) on the Jungfraujoch mountain ridge (3580 m a.s.l.) in the Swiss Alps, agree quantitatively. Additionally, the mass resolution of the ToF-ACSM is sufficient for basic mass defect resolved peak fitting of the recorded spectra, providing a data stream not accessible to the Q-ACSM. This allows for quantification of certain hydrocarbon and oxygenated fragments (e.g. C3H7+ and C2H3O+, both occurring at m/Q = 43 Th), as well as improving inorganic/organic separation.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We constructed a new chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (CI-TOFMS) that measures atmospheric trace gases in real time with high sensitivity. We apply the technique to the ...measurement of formic acid via negative-ion proton transfer, using acetate as the reagent ion. A novel high pressure interface, incorporating two RF-only quadrupoles is used to efficiently focus ions through four stages of differential pumping before analysis with a compact TOFMS. The high ion-duty cycle (>20 %) of the TOFMS combined with the efficient production and transmission of ions in the high pressure interface results in a highly sensitive (>300 ions s−1 pptv−1 formic acid) instrument capable of measuring and saving complete mass spectra at rates faster than 10 Hz. We demonstrate the efficient transfer and detection of both bare ions and ion-molecule clusters, and characterize the instrument during field measurements aboard the R/V Atlantis as part of the CalNex campaign during the spring of 2010. The in-field short-term precision is better than 5 % at 1 pptv (pL/L), for 1-s averages. The detection limit (3 σ, 1-s averages) of the current version of the CI-TOFMS, as applied to the in situ detection of formic acid, is limited by the magnitude and variability in the background determination and was determined to be 4 pptv. Application of the CI-TOFMS to the detection of other inorganic and organic acids, as well as the use of different reagent ion molecules (e.g. I−, CF3O−, CO3−) is promising, as we have demonstrated efficient transmission and detection of both bare ions and their associated ion-molecule clusters.
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Orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometers (oaTOFMS), which are exhibiting a pulsed orthogonal extraction of ion bunches into the TOF mass analyzer from a continuous primary ion beam, ...are well-suited for continuous ionization methods such as electron impact ionization (EI). Recently an electron beam pumped rare gas excimer lamp (EBEL) was introduced, which emits intensive vacuum UV (VUV) radiation at, e.g., 126 nm (argon excimer) and is well suited as the light source for soft single photon ionization (SPI) of organic molecules. In this paper, a new compact oaTOFMS system which allows switching between SPI, using VUV-light from an EBEL-light source, and conventional EI is described. With the oaTOFMS system, EBEL-SPI and EI mass spectral transients can be recorded at very high repetition rates (up to 100 kHz), enabling high duty cycles and therefore good detection efficiencies. By using a transient recorder card with the capability to perform on-board accumulation of the oaTOF transients, final mass spectra with a dynamic range of 106 can be saved to the hard disk at a rate of 10 Hz. As it is possible to change the ionization modes (EI and SPI) rapidly, a comprehensive monitoring of complex gases with highly dynamic compositions, such as cigarette smoke, is possible. In this context, the EI based mass spectra address the bulk composition (compounds such as water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc. in the up to percentage concentration range) as well as some inorganic trace gases such as argon, sulfur dioxide, etc. down to the low ppm level. The EBEL-SPI mass spectra on the other hand are revealing the organic composition down to the lower ppb concentration range.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
This paper describes in detail a new method to calculate the integral that appears in the expression of cross-section Doppler broadening. This method is based on a Fourier transform and seems quite ...promising as our tests suggest it is able to reach any required precision within a reasonable amount of calculation time. Another method to calculate Doppler-broadened cross sections based on Gauss quadrature will be presented, even if it requires too much computation time to be of practical use. Both methods have been implemented in a new nuclear data-processing software called GAIA, which is currently under development at the French Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire. Results of the comparison of the broadened cross sections obtained with the GAIA methods and with the NJOY processing system are discussed in the paper.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Precise neutrino–nucleus interaction measurements in the sub-multi-GeV region are important to reduce the systematic uncertainty in future neutrino oscillation experiments. Furthermore, an ...excess of
${\nu_e}$
interactions, as a possible interpretation of the existence of a sterile neutrino, has been observed in such an energy region. The nuclear emulsion technique can measure all the final state particles with low energy threshold for a variety of targets (Fe, C, H
${_2}$
O, and so on). Its sub-
$\mu$
m position resolution allows measurements of the
${\nu_e}$
cross-section with good electron/gamma separation capability. We started a new experiment at J-PARC to study sub-multi-GeV neutrino interactions by introducing the nuclear emulsion technique. The J-PARC T60 experiment has been implemented as a first step in such a project. Systematic neutrino event analysis with full scanning data in the nuclear emulsion detector was performed for the first time. The first neutrino event detection and its analysis are described in this paper.
Abstract
We describe the first ever implementation of a clock-based, multi-stage emulsion shifter in an accelerator neutrino experiment. The system was installed in the neutrino monitoring building ...at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex as part of a test experiment, T60, and stable operation was maintained for a total of 126.6 days. By applying time information to emulsion films, various results were obtained. Time resolutions of 5.3–14.7 s were evaluated in an operation spanning 46.9 days (yielding division numbers of 1.4–3.8
$\times10^{5}$
). By using timing and spatial information, reconstruction of coincident events consisting of high-multiplicity and vertex-contained events, including neutrino events, was performed. Emulsion events were matched to events observed by INGRID, one of the on-axis near detectors of the T2K experiment, with high reliability (98.5%), and hybrid analysis of the emulsion and INGRID events was established by means of the multi-stage shifter. The results demonstrate that the multi-stage shifter can feasibly be used in neutrino experiments.
The INGRID(Interactive Neutrino GRID) detector is designed to measure the neutrino beam direction with a precision better than 1mrad for T2K experiment. INGRID consists of 16 modules and placed ...around the beam center at 280m downstream of the proton beam target. The module is a sandwich of iron targets and scintillator tracking planes which consist of X–Y layers. We have constructed all scintillator tracking planes and measured light yield of all scintillators. Currently we install 1st module into the detector hall and cosmic events are observed. INGRID is ready for 1st neutrino event from April 2009.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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