Inlet
After more than one week of hard work, we are almost ready to start sampling. This is our inlet (Alex Huffman and Ken Docherty, from the University of Colorado at Boulder, did a great job setting it up). The inlet is 1/2" copper tubing; the tubing is insulated to keep the temperature as constant as possible. It is also covered with aluminum foil to reflect the sun radiation in order to keep it cool during the day. We use pumps to pull in ambient air through the inlet, which is connected to the instruments on the other side of the wall. The objects at the top of the inlet, are called Cyclones and they collect large
particles (larger than 2.5 microns), letting only the smaller ones into the instruments. We care about the smaller particles because they are the ones that can get deep in the lungs and can have health effects.
I will show you the other side of the wall in my next postcard. Stay tuned!
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