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This paper addresses the problem of finding a parametric for for the rain drop size distribution which 1) is an appropriate model for tropical rainfall, and 2) involves statistically independent parameters.
Measurements have been made of the elemental particle size distribution at five contrasting urban environments with different source-type distributions in Cleveland, Ohio. Air quality conditions ranged from normal to air pollution alert levels. A parallel network of high-volume cascade impactors (5-stage) were used for simultaneous sampling on glass fiber surfaces for mass determinations and on Whatman-41 surfaces for elemental analysis by neutron activation for 25 elements. The elemental data are assessed in terms of distribution functions and interrelationships and are compared between locations as a function of resultant wind direction in an attempt to relate the findings to sources.
SEM-BSE measurements of the size distribution of Fe0 globules in agglutinitic glass in seven lunar soils average about 120 nm suggesting similar modes of origin. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
The variability of the drop size distribution (DSD) is one of the factors that must be considered in understanding the uncertainties in the retrieval of oceanic precipitation from passive microwave observations. Here, we have used observations from the Precipitation Radar on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission spacecraft to infer the relationship between the DSD and the rain rate and the variability in this relationship. The impact on passive microwave rain rate retrievals varies with the frequency and rain rate. The total uncertainty for a given pixel can be slightly larger than 10% at the low end (ca. 10 GHz) of frequencies commonly used for this purpose and smaller at higher frequencies (up to 37 GHz). Since the error is not totally random, averaging many pixels, as in a monthly rainfall total, should roughly halve this uncertainty. The uncertainty may be lower at rain rates less than about 30 mm/h, but the lack of sensitivity of the surface reference technique to low rain rates makes it impossible to tell from the present data set.
A flight instrument that uses electric means for measuring the droplet-size distribution in above-freezing clouds has been devised and given preliminary evaluation in flight. An electric charge is placed on the droplets and they are separated aerodynamically according to their mass. Because the charge placed on the droplets is a. function of the droplet size, the size spectrum can 'be determined by measurement of the charge deposited on cylinders of several different sizes placed to intercept the charged droplets. An expression for the rate of charge acquisition by a water droplet in a field of coronal discharge is derived. The results obtained in flight with an instrument based on the method described indicate that continuous records of droplet-size spectrum variations in clouds can be obtained. The experimental instrument was used to evaluate the method and was not refined to the extent necessary for obtaining conclusive meteorological data. The desirable features of an instrument based on the method described are (i) The instrument can be used in clouds with temperatures above freezing; (2) the size and the shape of the cylinders do not change during the exposure time; (3) the readings are instantaneous and continuous; (4) the available sensitivity permits the study of variations in cloud structures of less than 200 feet in extent.
Drizzle is a common feature of warm stratiform clouds and it influences their radiative effects by modulating their physical properties and lifecycle. An important component of drizzle formation are processes that lead to a broadening of the droplet size distribution (DSD). Here, we examine observations of cloud and drizzle properties retrieved using colocated airborne measurements from the Research Scanning Polarimeter and the Third Generation Airborne Precipitation Radar. We observe a bimodal DSD as the aircraft transects drizzling open-cells whereby the larger mode reaches a maximum size near cloud center and the smaller mode remains relatively constant in size. We review similarities between our observations with droplet growth processes and their connections with precipitation onset. We estimate droplet sedimentation using the cloud top DSD and find a correlation with rain water path of 0.82. We also examine how changes in liquid water paths and droplet concentrations may act to enhance or suppress precipitation.
Determination of velocities, particle size distributions, and wettabilities of microfog streams of various lubricants
A method to estimate raindrop size distribution (DSD) parameters from a combined Zm profile and path-integrated attenuation is shown, and a test result of the method using the data from an aircraft experiment is presented. The 'semi' dual-parameter (SDP) measurement is employed to estimate DSD parameters using the data obtained from an aircraft experiment conducted by Communications Research Laboratory, Tokyo, in conjunction with NASA. The validity of estimated DSD parameters is examined using measured Ka-band radar reflectivities. The estimated path-averaged N(0) is consistent with the Ka/X Ze ratio, and the use of estimated DSD shows excellent agreement between the rain rates estimated from the X-band and K-band Zes. The feasibility of estimating DSD parameters from space is confirmed.
Characteristics of suspended solids, including total suspended matter, total suspended inorganics, total suspended organics, particle size distribution, and the presence of the ten most prominent particle types were determined. Four research vessels simultaneously collected samples along four transects. Samples were collected within a 2-hour period that coincided with the maximum ebb penetration of Chesapeake Bay outwelling. The distribution of primary and secondary particle size modes indicate the presence of a surface or near-surface plume, possibly associated with three sources: (1) runoff, (2) resuspension of material within the Bay, and/or (3) resuspension of material in the area of shoals at the Bay mouth. Additional supportive evidence for this conclusion is illustrated with ocean color scanner data.
Two different commercial particulate measuring instruments were flown aboard the NASA Convair 990. A condensation nuclei monitor was utilized to measure particles larger than approximately 0.003 micron in diameter. A specially designed pressurization system was used with this monitor at cabin altitude pressure. A near-forward light scattering counter was used to measure the number and size distribution particles in the size range from 0.5 to 5 microns and greater in diameter. Considerable variation in number density was encountered for both classes of particles at the test altitudes ranging from 5 to 12 km. Presence of clouds could be detected by the light scattering instrument because large numbers of particles would then be registered by the instrument, especially in the size range above 5.0 microns in diameter.
A study was made of the field size distributions for LACIE test sites 5029, 5033, and 5039, People's Republic of China. Field lengths and widths were measured from LANDSAT imagery, and field area was statistically modeled. Field size parameters have log-normal or Poisson frequency distributions. These were normalized to the Gaussian distribution and theoretical population curves were made. When compared to fields in other areas of the same country measured in the previous study, field lengths and widths in the three LACIE test sites were 2 to 3 times smaller and areas were smaller by an order of magnitude.
The Icing Research Tunnel at NASA Glenn has demonstrated that they can create a drop-size distribution that matches the FAA Part 25 Appendix O FZDZ, MVD <40 microns normalized cumulative volume within 10%. This is done by simultaneously spraying the Standard and Mod1 nozzles at the same nozzle air pressure and different nozzle water pressures. It was also found through these tests that the distributions that are measured when the two nozzle sets are sprayed simultaneously closely matched what was found by combining the two individual distributions analytically. Additionally, distributions were compared between spraying all spraybars and also by spraying only every-other spraybar, and were found to match within 4%. The cloud liquid water content uniformity for this condition has been found to be excellent. It should be noted, however, that the liquid water content for this condition in the IRT is much higher than the requirement specified in Part 25 Appendix O.
The capacitance of a grain immersed in a steady state plasma containing a size distribution of dust particles is studied. The grain charge is determined by assuming the equilibrium potential has been obtained by a simple balance of electron and ion collection currents. It is shown that the validity of the analytical treatment given here for the linearized Poisson equation is confined to a certain region of space. Within this region and starting at very small plasma Debye length lambda(D), the capacitance at first exhibits a monotonic increase with increasing lambda(D). The capacitance eventually reaches a maximum, followed by a monotonic decrease. The charge density of the dust in the plasma is found to be only a function of the lambda(D); there is no significant dependence on the interparticle spacing.
In order to investigate the role of the drop size distribution (DSD) from a dual-wavelength airborne radar and to recover profiled rain rates, a procedure is described for the purpose of estimating the DSD. The method differs from previous approaches in that it provides 2n + 1 parameters of the profiled DSD (where n is the number of range gates) and it uses a recursive procedure beginning at the range gate near the surface progressing backwards toward the storm top. The method is argued to be useful both as a diagnostic tool and as a means by which more detailed information on the vertical structure of the precipitation can be obtained.
Images of microstructures analyzed by transform methods. Report discusses determination of distributions of grain sizes by analysis of images of microstructures.
Commercial particulate measuring instruments were flown aboard the NASA Convair 990. A condensation nuclei monitor was utilized to measure particles larger than approximately 0.003 micrometers in diameter. A specially designed pressurization system was used with this counter so that the sample could be fed into the monitor at cabin altitude pressure. A near-forward light scattering counter was used to measure the number and size distribution particles in the size range from 0.5 to 5 micrometers and greater in diameter.
Light reflection and transmission from clouds with various drop size distributions calculated using Monte Carlo technique
Growth-related change in the size distribution of hemicellulosic wall polymers during the gravitropic curvature response of intact pea (Pisum sativum L. cv Alaska) epicotyls was examined by gel-filtration chromatography. The gravitropic response was characterized by the appearance of curvature 20 to 30 min after horizontal placement, with 35 degrees of curvature attained by 80 min. Correlated with the onset of curvature, on the upper side of the epicotyl, there was a conspicuous transient increase in the abundance of relatively large hemicellulosic xyloglucan polymers, similar to increases previously found under conditions where diminished wall extensibility was expected. On the lower side there was a moderate, slower, and longer-term increase in abundance of small xyloglucan, similar to changes previously found in connection with auxin-stimulated growth responses. Both shifts occurred primarily in the epidermis. They appear to represent two coordinated physiological mechanisms contributing to differential growth.