Andy Newman and Richard McLaughlin, time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Andy Newman, Richard McLaughlin, and federal colleague Patrick Veres first identified the need: Atmospheric chemists needed a sophisticated new instrument and a “ride” for it to help scientists fill in gaps in our understanding of the chemistry of the global atmosphere. The team successfully advocated for the new instrument in 2015, obtaining funds to obtain a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Since then, they found it a ride—on NASA’s Atmospheric Tomography mission—and in record time, they ruggedized and integrated the instrument into the aircraft, meeting stringent weight, configuration, and power requirements. Among many critical innovations: Newman and McLaughlin innovated an inlet and sampling scheme that provided a constant sample mass flow with extraordinary pressure stability.

The CIMS data are of particular interest to those studying the oxidation chemistry that determines the lifetimes of ozone and methane in the atmosphere—with implications for climate and air quality.

“My conclusion is that I would love to have a copy of their instrument,” one person wrote in support of the nomination. “The deployment was nearly flawless and the data they collected was unique and of the highest quality.”