Digital Twin Analysis of the “Truth Gap” in Maritime PM2.5 Sensors

Digital Twin Analysis of the “Truth Gap” in Maritime PM2.5 Sensors | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Digital Twin Analysis of the “Truth Gap” in Maritime PM 2.5 Sensors Kunal Goyal This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316247/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The deployment of federal air quality monitoring networks in humid maritime environments faces an intrinsic issue of data integrity due to the presence of optomechanical artifacts induced by humidity, resulting in the emergence of the ''Truth Gap'' in data series generated by low-cost sensors (LCS). In this research paper, we provide a physics-based deterministic understanding through the creation of a forensic digital twin (FDT) model for simulating the micro-scale processes occurring in the optical sensing unit. FDT modeling is based on the precise optomechanical characteristics of industrial-grade sensors, such as the input power of the laser source and angular aperture of the detection area. Using \((\kappa)\) -Köhler theory and the Lorentz–Lorenz mixture rule, the FDT simulation takes into account the hygroscopic growth phenomenon and its impact on the optical softening process of aerosols in the maritime environment. Using the decomposition method in the simulation of Mie scattering, an important phenomenon of radiative intensity increase by 59.5% (Optical Bloom) at 76.09% relative humidity can be observed. The study demonstrates that the truth gap emerges as a structural outcome of the Mass–Intensity Divergence factor with the value of 4.3. It means that water molecules, bonded in mass, were mistakenly detected as industrial particulates. This forensic simulation clarifies the system topology for the errors induced by moisture in the atmosphere. Air quality index (AQI) Mie scattering Forensic Digital Twin Hygroscopic growth Particulate matter (PM2.5) PERFR framework The Truth Gap Baton Rouge Industrial Corridor Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 18 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 07 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 29 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 16 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 06 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9316247","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":632629350,"identity":"78dc072d-54f7-4d76-bf82-eccb29b5444d","order_by":0,"name":"Kunal Goyal","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAsUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACCTBZYAPh8RCvxSANopoULYdJ0CLZv/iYxA+D89H2EgmMD962EaFFWuJZmmSPwe3cHokEZsO5xGiRkzhjJsED0cImzUusFsk/BudAWth/E6VFmr/HTJrH4ADYFmaitEjOYEu2ljFIzu0587BZcs45IrRInD988OabCrvc9vbkgx/elBGhhUEigQUSNwyMDcSoBwL+A8wfiFQ6CkbBKBgFIxUAAJFyMoK2+lqDAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kunal","middleName":"","lastName":"Goyal","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-03 21:38:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316247/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316247/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":108493309,"identity":"86774700-ab44-4455-b279-36307c6a3c9e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-05 09:59:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":461100,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"DiscoverElectronicsPaperrev1.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9316247/v1_covered_c4a81226-2356-4ca1-a961-d3e3e4ce008b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eDigital Twin Analysis of the “Truth Gap” in Maritime PM\u003csub\u003e2.5\u003c/sub\u003e Sensors\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-electronics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Electronics](https://www.springer.com/journal/44291)","snPcode":"44291","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44291","title":"Discover Electronics","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Air quality index (AQI), Mie scattering, Forensic Digital Twin, Hygroscopic growth, Particulate matter (PM2.5), PERFR framework, The Truth Gap, Baton Rouge Industrial Corridor","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316247/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9316247/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe deployment of federal air quality monitoring networks in humid maritime environments faces an intrinsic issue of data integrity due to the presence of optomechanical artifacts induced by humidity, resulting in the emergence of the ''Truth Gap'' in data series generated by low-cost sensors (LCS). 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