Profiling time varying aerosol sources from distant measurements

Characterizing aerosol sources emission profiles is a central problem in risk prevention, although it is very tricky to achieve in practice. When concentration measurements are available in the far-field, this can be done indirectly through the use of so-called inverse methods. Thus M. Girault et al (Girault, Maillet, Fontaine, Braconnier, & Bonthoux, 2006) have adapted some techniques originally developed for thermal problems in the case of a gaseous pollutant emitted by an unsteady source. The approach has proven itself successful, and we propose in this paper to extend its scope to aerosol pollutants emitted. The method that is presented should allow emission profile characterization from wood working machines, in order to classify the machines with respect to their emission potential.