In Situ Particle Asymmetry Factor Monitor

Aerosol particles affect the radiative balance of the earth directly, by scattering and absorbing solar and terrestrial radiation, and indirectly, by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. It is now recognized that the atmospheric loading of aerosols generated through human activities can exert an influence on the earth's radiation budget comparable in magnitude with greenhouse gases. However, the uncertainties in the current understanding of aerosol direct and indirect forcing "limit the ability to quantify human influences on climate change". We propose to design, construct and test a monitor suitable for ambient monitoring which is capable of directly measuring the angular distribution of light scattered from the aerosol fraction and therefore the asymmetry parameter, g. The asymmetry parameter, which is a key input parameter in radiative forcing models, cannot at present be measured directly and must be inferred from other measurements.

Successful development and marketing of this monitor will yield a significant level of direct commercial sales from researchers in the atmospheric sciences. The comparatively low cost and ease of use of this sensor will allow almost routine measurement of the scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols, something precluded by the cost and complexity of current instrumentation.

This instrument provides a fundamental measure of the optical properties of ambient aerosols and would provide a critical missing component to NASA-based Global Climate Change studies. Local monitoring of this aerosol property would provide 'ground truth' for NASA's satellite-based monitoring and modeling efforts sand significantly enhance the accuracy of climate change predictions.

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