CLOUDSCI LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S11

Description

Atmospheric aerosol have important impacts on climate and air quality and affect efforts to retrieve information regarding the Earthrsquo;s surface, including oceans. Airborne measurements of aerosol size are critical to understanding physical drivers over time and space, and to validate satellite and other remotely sensed observations. The current state of the art instrument for measuring aerosol size on aircraft is now almost 50 years old, and a replacement is badly needed. We propose development of a next-generation aerosol probe that leverages two scattering measurement techniques to reduce uncertaintiesnbsp;-- the Airborne Multiangle Aerosol Size Spectrometer. Integrated side scattering provides sizing information for submicron particles and small angle light scattering provides sizing information for supermicron particles. In this project, we will also determine if the complementary techniques can provide additional information regarding particle shape and refractive index. The goal is to provide a near aircraft ready prototype instrument capable of supporting aerosol measurement requirements for the next decade, integrating modern flow control, electronics, and data processing/output capabilities.