PSC ANALYSIS: In-situ analysis of aerosols and gases in the polar stratosphere - a contribution to the THESEO campaign

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 97.0364

Key words (English)

PSC; chemical composition; size distribution; microphysics; THESEO

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: ENV4-CT97-0523

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 3.1 Environment

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Danish Meteorological Institut (DK), Max-Planck-Institut (D), Laboratoire de meteorologie Dynamique (F), Istituto di fisica dell'atmosfera del CNR (I), Service d'Aeronomie du CNRS (F)

Abstract (English)

The objectives of the project is to obtain a complete and simultaneous characterisation of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) particles in terms of their chemical composition and physical phase, particle size distributions, optical properties, and the ambient atmospheric conditions in which the particles are formed. This is accomplished by two in-situ bolloon borne experiments with multi-instrument payload, supplemented by airborne remote measurements. The observations will be used to constraint microphysics modelling of the PSC formation.
In the reporting period the main objectives of the project have been to prepare the instruments and the modelling framework for the THESEO Campaign. The work of the University of Geneva have been centred on the update of the already existing algorithms and on the development of new numerical tools for the analysis of the non spherical scattering of the PSC particles. Particular attention has been devoted to the development of algorithms for the estimation/ retrieval of the particle size form depolarisation measurements. The relative influence of the refractive index and the particle shape have been analysed using simulation of the scattering properties of small non-spherical particles and big ice crystals up to 100 um.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 97.0364