Presentation Information
[10a-C213-7]Statistical Evaluation of Particle Size Distribution Broadening in Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis
〇Kento Toyoda1, Hiromi Kuramochi1, Takanori Ichiki1,2 (1.Dept. of Eng. UTokyo, 2.iCONM)
Keywords:
Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis,Brownian Motion,Likelihood Analysis
Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) estimates particle size from diffusion coefficients obtained by tracking Brownian motion. Even for monodisperse samples, NTA often yields particle size distributions with finite widths, partly due to statistical uncertainty arising from limited trajectory lengths. In this study, Brownian motion simulations were performed to investigate the dependence of particle size distribution broadening on the number of trajectory frames. The normalized distribution width decreased with increasing trajectory length, consistent with the reduction of finite-sampling uncertainty. In addition, a likelihood-based analysis incorporating frame-dependent estimation variability was developed to evaluate the contribution of measurement statistics to the observed particle size distribution. The results indicate that a significant fraction of the observed broadening originates from finite-frame statistical fluctuations rather than intrinsic sample heterogeneity. This approach provides a framework for uncertainty assessment and improved interpretation of NTA measurements.