The spectroscopy of the interaction of solar radiation with atmospheric aerosol particles has an important, yet poorly understood, effect on Earth's radiation balance. Indeed it is unclear whether certain particles provide a net warming or cooling effect on Earth's climate. Also, atmospheric particles can alter visibility in the atmosphere, particularly in urban areas.  This research presents a novel, miniaturized, field deployable polar nephelometer for the measurement of the scattering properties of atmospheric aerosol particles, based on recent laboratory-scale instrumentation. The instrument collects scattered light using an elliptical mirror and facilitates the rapid detection of the scattering properties of particles across a large angular range at a much higher angular resolution than that determined in previous measurements.  The simplicity and relatively low cost of the design makes this instrument an improvement over other, more complicated devices. Also the design can be easily adapted to future ground and aircraft-based studies of anthropogenic and naturally occurring atmospheric particles.

New portable, polar nephelometer with angularly resolved light intensity
detection for the determination of Mie scattering of aerosol particles

241st National Meeting (2011)

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New portable, polar nephelometer with angularly resolved light intensity detection for the determination of Mie scattering of aerosol particles