Articles | Volume 4, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-103-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/ar-4-103-2026
Research article
 | 
25 Feb 2026
Research article |  | 25 Feb 2026

Development of the SiMPLE-PAS: a low-cost, three-wavelength photoacoustic spectrometer for aerosol absorption

Ashley M. Scott, Charles A. Wise, Ryan P. Poland, Anna D. Jordan, and D. Al Fischer

Cited articles

Ajtai, T., Filep, Á., Schnaiter, M., Linke, C., Vragel, M., Bozóki, Z., Szabó, G., and Leisner, T.: A Novel Multi-wavelength Photoacoustic Spectrometer for the Measurement of the UV–Vis-NIR Spectral Absorption Coefficient of Atmospheric Aerosols, J. Aerosol Sci., 41, 1020–1029, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaerosci.2010.07.008, 2010. a, b
Barreira, L. M., Aurela, M., Saarikoski, S., Li, D., Teinilä, K., Virkkula, A., Niemi, J. V., Manninen, H., Pirjola, L., Petäjä, T., Rönkkö, T., and Timonen, H.: Characterizing Winter-Time Brown Carbon: Insights into Chemical and Light-Absorption Properties in Residential and Traffic Environments, Science of The Total Environment, 955, 177089, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177089, 2024. a
Bell, A. G.: On the Production and Reproduction of Sound by Light, American Journal of Science, 20, https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.s3-20.118.305, 1880. a
Bezanson, J., Edelman, A., Karpinski, S., and Shah, V. B.: Julia: A Fresh Approach to Numerical Computing, SIAM Review, 59, 65–98, https://doi.org/10.1137/141000671, 2017. a
Bogumil, K., Orphal, J., Homann, T., Voigt, S., Spietz, P., Fleischmann, O., Vogel, A., Hartmann, M., Kromminga, H., Bovensmann, H., Frerick, J., and Burrows, J.: Measurements of Molecular Absorption Spectra with the SCIAMACHY Pre-Flight Model: Instrument Characterization and Reference Data for Atmospheric Remote-Sensing in the 230–2380 Nm Region, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 157, 167–184, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1010-6030(03)00062-5, 2003. a, b, c, d, e
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Short summary
The SiMPLE-PAS is a single-pass, multi-wavelength, portable, and low-expense photoacoustic spectrometer designed to measure absorption of light by atmospheric aerosols. It is differentiated from other PAS instruments by being much less expensive (approximately USD 500 total) and 3D-printed while still allowing measurements at multiple wavelengths. The instrument has competitive detection limits and provides a blueprint for an ultra low-cost PAS to make the technique more accessible.
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