A new helicopter-borne measurement system for high resolution aerosol measurements in the lower atmosphere - Part 2, application to atmospheric measurements

• Applicant: Dr. Birgit Wehner
• Subject Area: Atmospheric Science
• Term: from 2006 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 19800961

Aerosol particle formation is ubiquitous in the atmosphere. It can lead to large numbers of ultrafine particles (diam. < 20 nm) which can grow by condensation to cloud condensation nuclei. These cloud condensation nuclei determine the properties of clouds and hence their climate impact. However, our current knowledge about particle formation processes is limited, mainly for technical reasons.In this application, we propose the development and application of a helicopter-borne aerosol measurement system to study particle formation events in the lower atmosphere (h < 3 km). In order to resolve the fine structures of such events and to analyze the balance equation of the aerosol particles, a fast measurement system (> 10 Hz) is needed. Therefore, we will develop a new mixing-type condensation particle counter, which will be the central part of the new aerosol measurement system. Fast measurements of the whole submicrometer particle size distribution and turbulence parameters will assist the data interpretation. With the new system, particle formation events caused by mixing processes on small scales at inversion layers in the cloud-free atmosphere as well as on cloud edges can be investigated for the first time in detail.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants