| Abstract: | The performance of two different optical concentration-measuring techniques was investigated over a concentration range starting with about 102 cm−3 and extending over more than four decades. Both instruments are capable of real-time counting, however due to their particular design-single particle counter and ensemble particle-measuring system—they operate in overlapping, but different concentration ranges. The upper, coincidence-free counting limit for the single particle counter used in this study was established to be in the order of 104 cm−3. The ensemble technique was found to be functional and stable for concentrations of about 103 cm−3 and limited by the onset of multiple scattering at concentrations nearby 2×106 cm−3. Within the determined boundaries, both techniques proved to provide reliable aerosol concentration data. |
