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The retrieval of the asymmetry parameter from nephelometer measurements can be challenging due to the inability to detect the whole angular range. Here, we present a new method for retrieving the asymmetry parameter of ice crystals with relatively large size parameters (>50) from polar nephelometer measurements. We propose to fit the angular scattering measurement with a series of Legendre polynomials and the best fitted coefficients give the asymmetry parameter. The accuracy of the retrieval is analyzed by accessing the smoothness of the phase function, which is closely linked to the complexity of ice particle. It is found that the uncertainty of retrieval could be smaller than 0.01, provided the measured intensity profile is smooth enough. As an application, we report an case study on Arctic cirrus, which shows a mean value for the asymmetry parameter of 0.72. Plain Language SummaryThe asymmetry parameter of ice crystals is a parameter that can largely determine cirrus cloud's interaction with solar radiation energy, and therefore its magnitude is important for climate and weather prediction models. In-situ measurements using nephelometers is a direct way to measure partial angular scattering functions, and the accuracy of these measurements is of upmost importance. In this paper, we report a novel method for retrieving the asymmetry parameter from polar nephelometer measurements. Depending on the smoothness of the measured angular scattering function, the accuracy of the retrieval could be very high. We report a case study over the Arctic region, showing a low asymmetry parameter around 0.72.

Abstract. We have developed a new method to determine ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations observed by the Texas A&M University continuous flow diffusion chamber (CFDC) under a wide range of operating conditions. In this study, we evaluate differences in particle optical properties detected by the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer with POLarization (CASPOL) to differentiate between ice crystals, droplets, and aerosols. The depolarization signal from the CASPOL instrument is used to determine the occurrence of water droplet breakthrough (WDBT) conditions in the CFDC. The standard procedure for determining INP concentration is to count all particles that have grown beyond a nominal size cutoff as ice crystals. During WDBT this procedure overestimates INP concentration, because large droplets are miscounted as ice crystals. Here we design a new analysis method based on depolarization ratio that can extend the range of operating conditions of the CFDC. The method agrees reasonably well with the traditional method under non-WDBT conditions with a mean percent error of ±32.1 %. Additionally, a comparison with the Colorado State University CFDC shows that the new analysis method can be used reliably during WDBT conditions.

Fractal particle morphologies are employed to study the light scattering properties of soot-laden mineral dust aerosols. The applicability of these models is assessed in comparison with measurements and other numerical studies. To quantify the dust-soot mixing effects on the single and multiple scattering properties, a parameterization of the effective bulk properties is developed. Based on the parameterized bulk properties, polarized one-dimensional radiative transfer simulations are performed. The results indicate that small uncertainties in conjunction with soot contamination parameters may lead to large uncertainties in both forward and inverse modeling involving mineral dust contaminated with soot.

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Abstract. We have developed a new method to determine ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations observed by a Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC) under a wide range of operating conditions. In this study, we evaluate differences in particle optical properties detected by the Cloud and Aerosol Spectrometer with POLarization (CASPOL) to differentiate between ice crystals, droplets, and aerosols. The depolarization signal from the CASPOL instrument is used to determine the occurrence of water droplet breakthrough (WDBT) conditions in the CFDC, under which traditional determination of ice nucleating particle concentrations by size discrimination fails. To overcome the challenge of WDBT, we design a new analysis method using depolarization ratio that can extend the range of operating conditions of the CFDC. The method agrees reasonably well with the traditional method under non-WDBT conditions with a mean percent error of ±32.1 %. Additionally, a comparison with the Colorado State University (CSU) CFDC shows that the new analysis method can be used reliably during WDBT conditions.

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When viewing from space, perhaps the most prominent feature of the Earth and the atmosphere is clouds. Clouds play a dominant role in weather, climate and energy balance of the Earth-atmosphere system. Cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals occupying mostly the upper troposphere. At any given moment, cirrus clouds can cover around 40%-60% of the Earth's surface (e.g.,