Cloud Microphysics

 

 

 
 

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Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research (IMK)-

Atmospheric Aerosol Research (AAF)
 Karlsruhe research Center- Germany
 

Better understanding of the influence of ice clouds (Cirrus) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere on the regional and global climate, water budget and chemical composition of air requires a smart determination of microphysical and optical properties of ice cloud elements. This needs in situ measurements and suitable modeling for different aerosol types. The later, however, demands the existence of some sort of correlation between different measurable parameters under different temperature and humidity of ice crystals growth. 

For more details please visit the official webpage  

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Particle Habit Imaging and Polar Scattering probe

Devoloped by our group in IMKAAF-KIT

PHIPS (Particle Habit Imaging and Polar Scattering Probe) is an novel optical sensor designed to measure, simultaneously, the 3D morphology and the corresponding optical properties of individual cloud particles. It is composed of two combined optical systems. The first system measures the polar scattered light from cloud particles as they intersect a collimated CW laser. The second system is a stereo imaging system composed of two identical camera-telescope assemblies and a pulsed flash Laser.

 

PHIPS-AIDA

The scattering part of PHIPS-AIDA enables the measurement of polar scattered light of cloud particles with an angular resolution of 1° for forward scattering direction (from 1° to 10°) and 8° for the side and back scattering directions (from 18° to 170°). The two imaging assemblies are separated by an angular distance of 60°. PHIPS-AIDA is the laboratory version of PHIPS-HALO which is one of the in situ ice particles and water vapor instruments which have been developed for the German research aircraft "HALO"

 

Abdelmonem et. al. (2008)

 

Photo Gallery of AIDA campaign HALO02

 

 

 

PHIPS-HALO  

 

PHIPS-HALO is the airborne version of PHIPS. It is composed of two combined optical systems. The first system measures the polar scattered light from cloud particles as they intersect a collimated CW laser (532nm, 300mW Class 3B). The scattered light is collected by optical fibres and transmitted to a 32 channels Photomultiplier (PMT). One of these channels is used as a trigger sensor to catch the particles at the detection volume.  The scattering signals are conditioned by a Field-programmable array (FPGA) and stored on a solid state hard disk (SS-HD). The second system is a stereo imaging system composed of two identical camera-telescope assemblies and a pulsed flash Laser (690nm, 400W, Class 4). The two imaging assemblies are separated by an angular distance of 120°. The images are produced as particles shadows on the CCD of each camera and stored on the same SS-HD. The particles are illuminated by the flash laser using a Y-like fibre optic and two optical collimators. Both detection systems are controlled by a mini-PC. PHIPS-HALO is designed to be used on the German DLR HALO GV-SP aircraft