Title of Paper: Next Generation Airborne Gas Chromatograph for
NASA Airborne Platforms
Principal Author: Dr. James Elkins
Abstract: NOAA/CMDL scientists have designed and operated
two airborne chromatographs (GCs) on NASA aircraft and balloon payloads that
were capable of measuring important atmospheric trace gases that affect climate
forcing and stratospheric ozone depletion in the upper troposphere and
stratosphere. We will describe the next generation airborne gas chromatograph
that also will measure trace gases that are involved in atmospheric chemistry
in the troposphere, including PAN and the hydrocarbons. The next generation gas
chromatograph includes one mass selective detector and two electron capture
detectors. We will describe some of our technological improvements over past
GCs. This new GC was funded under NASA's Instrument Incubator Program (IIP).