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At least 937 records · Page 52
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Contact Freezing of Water Droplets by Crystalline Organic Acids

The ability of water to freeze into ice crystals in mixed-phase clouds affects physical properties, including particle size, precipitation rates, and radiative properties. The presence of an insoluble particle at the surface of water droplets can promote ice nucleation at temperatures higher than that of pure water, even in the absence of a collision. However, contact freezing remains an underexplored mode of ice nucleation. Here, we present a study of atmospherically relevant organic acids and their role as effective ice-nucleating particles (INP) in contact mode using a Raman-microscope-equipped environmental chamber. We determined contact freezing temperatures induced by solid crystals of docosanol, adipic acid, cis-pinonic acid, fumaric acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, palmitic acid, phthalic acid, sebacic acid, stearic acid, terephthalic acid, and vanillic acid. All solids except fumaric acid promoted contact freezing of water droplets at significantly higher temperatures than pure water in the chamber (−15.0 to −18.5 °C vs −21.3 °C). Physical and chemical properties were identified which correlate with greater effectiveness of INPs in the contact mode, including crystal lattice mismatch with ice, carbon number, and insolubility in water. In conclusion, we suggest that the presence of these organic solids in atmospheric aerosols may promote atmospheric ice nucleation at warm temperatures.

Clouds↗
NASA NTRS2003

Obliquity Driven Climate Change in Mars' Recent Past

We use the NASA/Ames grid Mars general circulation model with an updated radiation code and cloud nlicrophysics scheme. To speed up the simulations, we run the model at fairly coarse resolution (7.5" latitude x 22.5" longitude). Radiation Code Fluxes and heating rates are calculated from a radiation code based on the two-stream solution to radiative transfer that fully accounts for multiple scattering in the presence of gaseous absorp- tion. The model has 12 spectral intervals. Dust and water ice scattering properties are included. For dust, we use the Ockert-Bell [9] values in the visible, and Forget [IO] values in the infrared. For ice, we can either compute them online as the cloud evolves, or we can specify them. Gaseous opacities for water vapor and CO2 are calculated from correlated k-distributions taken from full line-by-line models. Cloud Microphysics Our cloud scheme is based on momentlorder scheme in which the mass mixing ratio and number density of the cloud ensemble are the advected species. From these we obtain a mean particle size and an estimate or the particle size distribution assuming a variance) which we then divide into 8 bins. Cloud microphysics is performed in each of these bins and includes nucleation, condensation, and gravitational settling. Dust is treated as a tracer and serves as condensation nuclei. The altered size distribution is then converted back into a mean size, a mixing ratio, and a particle number density.

Haberle, R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

A high-resolution X-ray image of Puppis A - Inhomogeneities in the interstellar medium

Eleven HRI exposures from the Einstein Observatory are assembled into an 0.1-4 keV image of the Puppis A supernova remnant which displays a complex morphology that may reflect the structure of the shocked interstellar medium. In addition to showing a density gradient of a factor greater than four across the approximately 30 pc diameter of the remnant perpendicular to the galactic plane, a shell of X-ray emission is seen surrounding the northern half of Puppis A, coincident with the radio shell, whose edge brightness profile indicates direct hot plasma heating by the blast wave rather than evaporation from clouds. The interior structure of the supernova remnant suggests inhomogeneities whose sizes range over 0.1-5 pc, but with moderate density contrast. Although isolated clouds of 10-30/cu cm density are responsible for the two brightest X-ray features, they represent only a small fraction of the Puppis A mass.

Petre, R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Stratosphere aerosol and cloud measurements at McMurdo Station Antarctica during the spring of 1987

Measurements of stratospheric aerosols with balloonborne optical particle counters on 6 occasions at McMurdo Station (78 deg S) in the spring of 1986 indicated subsidence of the stratospheric sulfate layer during the time that the ozone hole was forming (Hofmann et al., 1988). Since dynamic models of ozone depletion involving upwelling in the spring polar vortex would suggest the opposite, we repeated the measurements with an increased frequency (about one sounding per week) in 1987. During 3 of the aerosol soundings in 1986, temperatures in the 15 to 20 km range were low enough (less than 80 C) for HNO3 to co-condense with water according to several theories of polar stratospheric cloud formation. However, particles were not observed with the characteristic size suggested by theory (approx. 0.5 microns). For this reason, it was proposed that polar stratospheric clouds may predominantly consist of large (approx. 5 to 50 microns) ice crystals at very low (approx. 10 sup 4- 10 sup 3 cm cubed) concentrations (Rosen et al., 1988). The particle counter employed would be relatively insensitive to these low concentrations. With the increased frequency of soundings in 1987, and adding additional size discrimination in the 1 to 2 micron region, this hypothesis could be verified if suitably low temperatures were encountered.

Hofmann, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Inferring Cirrus Size Distributions Through Satellite Remote Sensing and Microphysical Databases

Since cirrus clouds have a substantial influence on the global energy balance that depends on their microphysical properties, climate models should strive to realistically characterize the cirrus ice particle size distribution (PSD), at least in a climatological sense. To date, the airborne in situ measurements of the cirrus PSD have contained large uncertainties due to errors in measuring small ice crystals (D<60 m). This paper presents a method to remotely estimate the concentration of the small ice crystals relative to the larger ones using the 11- and 12- m channels aboard several satellites. By understanding the underlying physics producing the emissivity difference between these channels, this emissivity difference can be used to infer the relative concentration of small ice crystals. This is facilitated by enlisting temperature-dependent characterizations of the PSD (i.e., PSD schemes) based on in situ measurements. An average cirrus emissivity relationship between 12 and 11 m is developed here using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite instrument and is used to retrieve the PSD based on six different PSD schemes. The PSDs from the measurement-based PSD schemes are compared with corresponding retrieved PSDs to evaluate differences in small ice crystal concentrations. The retrieved PSDs generally had lower concentrations of small ice particles, with total number concentration independent of temperature. In addition, the temperature dependence of the PSD effective diameter De and fall speed Vf for these retrieved PSD schemes exhibited less variability relative to the unmodified PSD schemes. The reduced variability in the retrieved De and Vf was attributed to the lower concentrations of small ice crystals in the retrieved PSD.

Mitchell, David↗
DOE OSTI2020

Contrasting aerosol effects on longwave cloud forcing in South East Asia and Amazon simulated with Community Atmosphere Model version 5.3

Aerosols modify cloud microphysical and radiative properties and thus impact the shortwave (SW) and longwave cloud forcing (LWCF). This study first reports the finding of contrasting aerosol effects on LWCF in South East Asia and Amazon in the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.3 (CAM5.3), which corresponds to the sum of LW indirect and semi-direct effects investigated in Ghan et al., (2012). A series of numerical experiments is conducted to decompose the complex aerosol effects on LWCF. Our analysis indicates that the cooling (negative aerosol effects on LWCF) in Amazon is due mainly to the aerosol effects on warm clouds and the inhibition of vertical motion by the aerosol-induced radiative cooling. In contrast, the warming (positive aerosol effects on LWCF) in South East Asia is due mainly to the aerosol effect on homogeneous freezing, thus reducing the ice particle size and prolonging the existence of ice cloud. Our results emphasize that a comprehensive analysis of integrated aerosol effects on both warm and ice clouds is necessary for better understanding the aerosol effects on LWCF.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei Facilitate Drizzle Formation in Stratocumulus—Insights From a Combined Observation‐Modeling Framework

The mechanism for initiating drizzle drop remains a gap in the current understanding of warm rain formation. One prevalent hypothesis suggests that the presence of Giant Cloud Condensation Nuclei (GCCN) generates drizzle‐sized drops necessary to trigger the Collision‐Coalescence (C‐C) process. Here, in this study, this hypothesis is investigated using a novel framework that integrates in situ observations, remote sensing measurements, and idealized models. Results show that GCCN can efficiently generate drizzle drops through condensation, producing a broad Droplet Size Distribution (DSD) comparable to in situ observations. The large drizzle drop and broad DSD strongly facilitate C‐C, further accelerating drizzle initiation. To compare with observation, the model‐generated DSDs are used to generate radar Doppler spectra where radar reflectivity and Doppler skewness is estimated. The simulated radar quantities correspond well with radar observations, providing critical evidence for the GCCN‐induced drizzle initiation mechanism.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cloud processing and weeklong ageing affect biomass burning aerosol properties over the south-eastern Atlantic

Abstract Southern Africa produces a third of global biomass burning emissions, which have a long atmospheric lifetime and influence regional radiation balance and climate. Here, we use airmass trajectories to link different aircraft observations to investigate the evolution of biomass-burning aerosols during their westward transport from Southern Africa over the south-eastern Atlantic, where a semi-permanent stratocumulus cloud deck is located. Our results show secondary organic aerosol formation during the initial 3 days of transport, followed by decreases in organic aerosol via photolysis before reaching equilibrium. Aerosol absorption wavelength dependency decreases with ageing, due to an increase in particle size and photochemical bleaching of brown carbon. Cloud processing, including aqueous-phase reaction and scavenging, contributes to the oxidation of organic aerosols, while it strongly reduces large diameter particles and single-scattering albedo of biomass burning aerosols. Together, these processes resulted in a marine boundary layer with fewer yet more oxidized and absorbing aerosols.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Photometric Properties of Jupiter Trojans Detected by the Dark Energy Survey

The Jupiter Trojans are a large group of asteroids that are coorbiting with Jupiter near its L4 and L5 Lagrange points. The study of Jupiter Trojans is crucial for testing different models of planet formation that are directly related to our understanding of solar system evolution. In this work, we select known Jupiter Trojans listed by the Minor Planet Center from the full six years data set (Y6) of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) to analyze their photometric properties. The DES data allow us to study Jupiter Trojans with a fainter magnitude limit than previous studies in a homogeneous survey with griz band measurements. We extract a final catalog of 573 unique Jupiter Trojans. Our sample include 547 asteroids belonging to L5. This is one of the largest analyzed samples for this group. By comparing with the data reported by other surveys we found that the color distribution of L5 Trojans is similar to that of L4 Trojans. We find that L5 Trojans’ g − i and g − r colors become less red with fainter absolute magnitudes, a trend also seen in L4 Trojans. Both the L4 and L5 clouds consistently show such a color–size correlation over an absolute magnitude range 11 < H < 18. We also use DES colors to perform taxonomic classifications. C- and P-type asteroids outnumber D-type asteroids in the L5 Trojans DES sample, which have diameters in the 5–20 km range. This is consistent with the color–size correlation.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1979

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 10th, Houston, Tex., March 19-23, 1979, Proceedings. Volume 2 - Early solar system and lunar regolith

Papers are presented concerning studies of the lunar regolith, the remote sensing of the surface compositions of the moon and planets, and the origin and evolution of the solar system. Specific topics include the stratigraphy and depositional history of the Apollo 17 deep drill core, the trace element and metallic iron abundances in fractions of the Apollo 15 deep drill core, the surface chemistry of lunar impact glasses, cosmic ray-produced noble gases in lunar samples, and the properties of microcraters and cosmic dust less than 1000 A in diameter. Attention is also given to the remote sensing of mare surface titanium concentrations, Viking Lander multispectral images, star and planetary system formation in collapsing, viscous, rotating clouds and the importance of planet size to basaltic volcanism.

Merrill, R. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Wallops severe storms measurement capability

Some of the instrumentation system used in support of NASA'S Storm Hazards Program are described. These systems include the Radar Atmospheric Research Facility (RARF) with its Space Range Radar and a near real time display from the National Weather Service WSR-57 radar, a lightning detection and ranging system (LDAR), and a Ryan Stormscope. The RARF system can detect, track, and quantify the properties of severe storms. Simultaneous measurements in the UHF (70 cm), S (10 cm), and C (5 cm) bands can be made of clouds and precipitation to deduce particle size and characteristics, including quantitive cross sections of individual hailstones and raindrops. Relative attenuation at these wavelenghts can be used to calculate path integrated rainfall and water content. The track of an instrument aircraft can be displayed on S-band reflectivity map of the individual storm cells. The LDAR system can determine the location of lightning discharges in real time and measure and record the electric field waveform for further study. The Ryan Stormscope can detect and range lightning out to 320 kilometers.

Carr, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Infrared sources in dense molecular clouds

Recent accomplishments in the infrared study of dense molecular clouds are reviewed, and the outstanding problems in the area are discussed. Such questions as whether clouds are collapsing, how they can be classified, and whether star formation is occurring on the edges of clouds are analyzed. Problems of determining size, energy distribution and luminosity, spectral features, evolutionary state, and energetics of infrared sources are discussed.

Evans, N. J., II↗
NASA NTRS1987

The size distribution of interstellar grains

Three major areas involving interstellar grains were investigated. First, studies were performed of scattering in reflection nebulae with the goal of deriving scattering characteristics of dust grains such as the albedo and the phase function asymmetry throughout the visible and the ultraviolet. Secondly, studies were performed of the wavelength dependence of interstellar extinction designed to demonstrate the wide range of grain size distributions naturally occurring in individual clouds in different parts of the galaxy. And thirdly, studies were also performed of the ultraviolet powered emission of dust grains in the 0.5 to 1.0 micron wavelength range in reflection nebulae. Findings considered of major importance are highlighted.

Witt, Adolf N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A catalog of small, optically selected molecular clouds - Optical, infrared, and millimeter properties

A catalog of small, optically selected molecular clouds is presented. The relevant selection criteria were small angular size, large central opacity, and freedom from connecting opaque material. The mean ellipticity of the clouds in the catalog is 2.0, with a maximum ellipticity of 7. The position angle of the clouds is uncorrelated with the direction of the Galactic plane. About 60 percent of the cataloged clouds have associated IRAS Point Source Catalog (PSC) sources in their cores or envelopes. The likelihood of a detection of a PSC source is some 6.1 times higher for the core regions of the clouds than for the envelopes, indicating a strong association of FIR sources and Bok globules. Of a sample of 97 of the clouds observed in the J = 2-1 line of (C-12)O, 70 percent have cold gas kinetic temperatures and approximately sonic line widths. The remaining 30 percent are about equally divided between those clouds likely to be radiatively heated by nearby stars and those undergoing active protostellar collapse or outflows with no bulk gas heating.

Clemens, Dan P.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Parameterizing mesoscale and large-scale ice clouds in general circulation models

The paper discusses GCM parameterizations for two types of ice clouds: (1) ice clouds formed by large-scale lifting, often of limited vertical extent but usually of large-scale horizontal extent; and (2) ice clouds formed as anvils in convective systems, often of moderate vertical extent but of mesoscale size horizontally. It is shown that the former type of clouds can be parameterized with reference to an equilibrium between ice generation by deposition from vapor, and ice removal by crystal settling. The same mechanisms operate in the mesoscale clouds, but the ice content in these cases is considered to be more closely linked to the moisture supplied to the anvil by cumulus towers. It is shown that a GCM can simulate widespread ice clouds of both types.

Donner, Leo J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The relation of radar to cloud area-time integrals and implications for rain measurements from space

The relationships between satellite-based and radar-measured area-time integrals (ATI) for convective storms are determined, and both are shown to depend on the climatological conditional mean rain rate and the ratio of the measured cloud area to the actual rain area of the storms. The GOES precipitation index of Arkin (1986) for convective storms, an area-time integral for satellite cloud areas, is shown to be related to the ATI for radar-observed rain areas. The quality of GPI-based rainfall estimates depends on how well the cloud area is related to the rain area and the size of the sampling domain. It is also noted that the use of a GOES cloud ATI in conjunction with the radar area-time integral will improve the accuracy of rainfall estimates and allow such estimates to be made in much smaller space-time domains than the 1-month and 5-deg boxes anticipated for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission.

Atlas, David↗
NASA NTRS1994

Revolving-Pinhole Calibrator

Revolving-pinhole calibrator used to calibrate instrument called "Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe" (FSSP). This instrument measures light scattered from water droplets in icing clouds. Scattering patterns used to determine sizes and distribution of sizes of droplets in connection with safety-oriented studies of icing on aircraft. Pinhole serves as diffraction standard for measuring small particles and drops.

Hovenac, Edward A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Optical properties of CO2 ice and CO2 snow in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared

The project was to measure the optical constants of CO2 ice in the spectral regions of weak absorption. Many previous measurements had been made by others in the strong absorption bands, but the weak regions had been poorly measured or not measured at all. In these regions the emissivity of CO2 frost and CO2 clouds is quite sensitive to particle sizes and to the value of the absorption coefficient, so the new measurements will have applications to energy budget and remote sensing of the Martian surface and atmosphere. During the time period covered by this grant, a method was developed for growing clear crystals of CO2, 4 cm in length. An apparatus was constructed for accurate measurement of spectral transmission through these crystals, for wavelengths 0.18-3.8 micrometers, covering the near-ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions, bounded by the strong ultraviolet absorption and the 4.3-micrometer band. Our new best estimate of the spectral absorption coefficient (expressed as imaginary refractive index) is shown. It is a composite result of many measurements on dozens of crystals. Now that we have a good dataset for the shortwave absorption spectrum, the focus of the research has moved to the thermal infrared, for which a Fourier Transform interferometer has been adapted for use with C02-ice crystals.

Warren, Stephen↗