From Bench to Field
Preparing the PAI and AMASS for their first measurement campaigns
Welcome to another installment of our periodic newsletter. In this edition, we’re sharing progress on two instruments in active development: the Passive Aerosol Imager (PAI) and the Airborne Multiangle Aerosol Size Spectrometer (AMASS). Both are progressing through rigorous laboratory testing before advancing to field deployment. We’re using traceable particle standards and well-characterized surrogates—including glass microspheres, Arizona test dust, and inert pollen—to characterize each instrument’s response as a function of particle size, morphology, and concentration.
Passive Aerosol Imager (PAI)
The PAI uses open-path triggered digital holography to resolve coarse-mode aerosol particles in the 4-100+ µm range. Our current laboratory work focuses on three key areas: (i) sizing accuracy and precision across the range from several micrometers to one hundred-plus micrometers; (ii) detection efficiency; and (iii) performance and speed of automated holographic processing. Results from our laboratory work have been promising across all three areas. We recently completed assembly of our first field-ready prototype and are excited to begin field testing later this month.
Airborne Multiangle Aerosol Size Spectrometer (AMASS)
The AMASS is an aerosol particle spectrometer designed for airborne applications. We are currently validating sizing and concentration measurements against reference instruments to characterize the performance of our optical design. In the coming months, we will integrate the optics with custom electronics and a flow control system into a PMS-canister form factor in preparation for environmental and flight testing in early 2026.
Drs. Ben Swanson and Tom Ramin making careful adjustments to the alignment of the PAI optical block.
The recently assembled PAI prototype is ready to begin field testing across a range of atmospheric conditions including fog, marine aerosol, and dust.
Our Fall Meeting Schedule
Join us at upcoming conferences
We’re excited to connect with the community at two important conferences this fall. If you’re planning to attend, we’d love to discuss how our instruments under development can support your measurement and research needs.
American Association for Aerosol Research (October 13-17 2025): poster with current CloudSci developments and early results; hands-on viewing of the PAI prototype in the exhibit hall at booth 406; opportunities to meet with the development team.
American Geophysical Union (December 15-19 2025): Results from the PAI and AMASS instruments; hands-on viewing of the PAI prototype in the exhibit hall at booth 214.
To arrange a discussion with our team at either conference, please contact us at sales@cloudsci.io.
Announcing a new project to develop SAPS (Single Aerosol Particle Spectrometer) for in situ aerosol chemical composition measurements
Demonstration in hallway of SAPS prototype developed by Prof. Chuji Wang’s group at Mississippi State University. Subset image shows a particle transiting the trapping section of the SAPS after being sampled by the new automated inlet design.
A field-focused path to analyze intact coarse mode aerosols using optical trapping and Raman spectroscopy
Many instruments either overlook particles above roughly ten micrometers or alter their chemistry during analysis. Thanks to support from the Department of Energy, CloudSci and Mississippi State University are developing the Single Aerosol Particle Spectrometer (SAPS) to address that measurement gap. SAPS measures size and chemical composition of individual coarse-mode particles—dust, sea salt, pollen, and other bioaerosols—in real time and without destroying molecular information. SAPS addresses a critical gap in the ability to measure coarse mode aerosols in real-time, particularly for particles above 10 micrometers, offering a non-destructive, in-situ approach that preserves particle integrity for classification and source attribution. The initial phase of the project is scheduled to be completed later this year, and we’ll be sharing results soon.
Contrail characterization tool development continues
The next phase of development work on a new, digital holography-based instrument for characterizing small ice crystals begins!
CloudSci is pleased to announce the recent launch of Phase II of the Open-Path Holographic Ice Imager (OPHII) project, sponsored by NASA. Building on the successful proof-of-concept work in Phase I, this next phase will deliver a flight-ready, open-path holographic spectrometer capable of characterizing small ice particles in clouds and aircraft contrails with unprecedented precision, including sizes down to the submicron range. OPHII will address long-standing challenges in observing the earliest stages of ice formation and growth, providing atmospheric scientists with critical new data to advance understanding of cloud microphysics, evaluate contrail mitigation strategies, and improve climate models. By enhancing the accuracy and capabilities of in situ cloud measurements, this project will help researchers gain deeper insights into high-altitude cloud processes and their impacts on the Earth’s atmosphere.