Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “cloud optics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: NO/NOx Analyzer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: NO2/NO/NOx Monitor (2B-Technology) Header: - NO2_2B[ppb]: Concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) measured at the time of the sampling, expressed in parts per billion. - NO_2B[ppb]: Concentration of nitric oxide (NO) measured at the time of the sampling, expressed in parts per billion. - NOx_2B[ppb]: Total concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx, which includes NO and NO2) measured at the time of the sampling, expressed in parts per billion.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (TSI), DMA Classifier Model 3082 + CPC Detector Model 3752. Data Notes: The SMPS dataset is limited due to necessary instrument maintenance and subsequent extensive downtime. Data is only available from October 21 to November 8, 2023. Post November 22, 2023, the NanoScan instrument provided coverage for the latter half of the campaign. To ensure consistency, the data was resampled into uniform size bins ranging from 15 nm to 667 nm. This adjustment was required due to changes in size bins and the maximum diameter that occurred after maintenance and repairs. Multiple Charge Correction applied, Nanoparticle Agglomerate Mobility Analysis not applied, and Diffusion Correction applied. Header: - List [15 nm to 667 nm] middle of the size bin in nanometers: Data reports the concentration particles in this size bin per cubic centimeter, dN/dLog(dp). - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Single Particle Soot Photometer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Single Particle Soot Photometer (Droplet Measurements Technology) Data Notes: Contact us if you want additional data products from this instrument. Reported data is the black carbon (rBC) number and mass concentration with diagnostic flags. The SP2 measures incandescence from particles that is induced with a 1064 Nd-YAG laser. Particles that absorb the laser energy and then emit radiation is assumed to contain black carbon. The amount of intensity of radiation is related to the mass of absorbing material in the particle. Here, we calibrate the incandescence intensity to size selected Regal Black (Cabot) nebulized from solution. Data provided for the EPCAPE campaign used the combined broadband high-gain + low-gain channels (BHBL). Each channel has a lower threshold of detection equivalent to 2-s of the respective channel noise. Thresholding has been applied to select between the high-gain and low-gain channels. The detection limit is 80-540 nm (Deq) or 0.36- 55 fg. It is assumed that rBC is the only aerosol type that is in significant concentration in the sampled atmosphere that absorbs the laser energy. Particle data are integrated over 10 second windows to calculate a rBC number and mass concentration. QC/QA: • Diagnostic flags that impacted measured concentration: - Sample, Sheath, and Purge Flow Rates: Despite observing fluctuations in all flows, the rBC detection and mass quantification are generally observed to be stable, although large changes in sample flow rate did impact detection efficiency. A flag was implemented for sample flow deviations >12 cm3/min from the set point averaged over 30 seconds - Laser Power: Detection efficiency decreases with laser power and deviations in laser power also affect mass quantification. Flag for laser power is set for deviations in laser current from the set value >5 mA. - Primary Detector Threshold: Primary thresholding is the signal value which determines whether a “particle” is recorded. Thresholding errors occur when the threshold value is too HIGH and real particles are ignored. • Several periods without data: - 16-18 Nov: Ultra Zero Air generator failure, flows deviated significantly from set points. rBC # conc recovered but questionable. - 20-21 Nov: Offline for calibrations for several hours each day. - 25-27 Nov: Data is missing. - 30 Nov: Power outage 3 Dec: SP2 hard-drive full. - 3 Dec: Power Outage Header: - BHBL_NumbConc[#/cc]: Refers to the number concentration of refractory black carbon (rBC) measured from combined broadband high-gain and low-gain channels, expressed in particles per cubic centimeter. - BHBL_BCMass_Conc[ug/m3]: Refers to the mass concentration of refractory black carbon (rBC) measured from combined broadband high-gain and low-gain channels, expressed in micrograms per cubic meter. - NoData_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag that indicates whether no data was recorded during a measurement. - NoBC_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether no black carbon particles were recorded during the measurement. - Laser_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations in laser current during the measurement. - SampleFlow_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations from the set sample flow rate during the measurement. - PrimThresh_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating deviations from the set primary threshold during the measurement, potentially ignoring real particles. - Manual_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating manual intervention or adjustments during the measurement. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active or inactive during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Nano-Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: NanoScan SMPS Nanoparticle Sizer 3910 (TSI). Data Notes: The NanoScan replaced our SMPS, on November 22nd 2023 and ran until the end of the campaign. Header: - List [11 nm to 365 nm] middle of the size bin in nanometers: Data reports the concentration particles in this size bin per cubic centimeter, dN/dLog(dp). - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: IONICON High-Resolution PTR-TOF-MS - Trace VOC Analyzer. Concentrations were calculated based on theoretical reaction rates of each species with H3O+. Details of the calculation are found in the PTR-MS Ionicon Manual. Data Notes: It is a high-resolution PTR-TOF-MS we have sub-selected relevant species. Contact us if you want additional data products from this instrument. Header: - CalculatedAcetonitrile[ppbv]: The concentration of acetonitrile expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedAcetaldehyde[ppbv]: The concentration of acetaldehyde expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedAcetone[ppbv]: The concentration of acetone expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedAceticAcid[ppbv]: The concentration of acetic acid expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedIsoprene[ppbv]: The concentration of isoprene expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedMVK[ppbv]: The concentration of methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methacrolein (MACR) expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedMEK[ppbv]: The concentration of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedBenzene[ppbv]: The concentration of benzene expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv). - CalculatedToluene[ppbv]: The concentration of toluene expressed in parts per billion by volume (ppbv).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Aerodynamic Part Sizer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Aerodynamic particle sizer (TSI) Files data_10min_APS.csv Header: - List [0.54 to 19.81] middle of the size bin in microns: Data reports the concentration particles in this size bin per cubic centimeter, dN/dLog(dp). - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Gas Monitors

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: G2401 Gas Concentration Analyzer (Picarro) Data Notes: The Picarro G2401 gas concentration analyzer provides simultaneous, precise measurement of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) at parts-per-billion (ppb), and water (H2O) vapor at parts per-million (ppm) sensitivity with negligible drift for atmospheric science, air quality, and emissions quantification. Header: - CO[ppm]: Concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per million (ppm). - CO2[ppm]: Concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per million (ppm). - CH4[ppm]: Concentration of methane (CH4) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per million (ppm). - H2O[%]: Water vapor content in the air at the time of the measurement, expressed as a percentage

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Humidified Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Spectroscopy

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Humidified Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Particulate Matter Single Scattering Albedo (H-CAPS-PMSSA, Aerodyne Inc) Data Notes: The scattering truncation correction was not applied to Bsca. The Bext needs no correction. Files: data_10sec_CAPS.csv, data_10min_CAPS.csv Header: - Bext_wet_CAPS_450nm[1/Mm]: Wet aerosol extinction coefficient measured at 450 nm by the CAPS, in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Bsca_wet_CAPS_450nm[1/Mm]: Wet aerosol scattering coefficient measured at 450 nm by the CAPS, in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Temp_wet_CAPS[K]: Temperature inside the wet CAPS measurement chamber, in Kelvin. - Bext_dry_CAPS_450nm[1/Mm]: Dry aerosol extinction coefficient measured at 450 nm by the CAPS, in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Bsca_dry_CAPS_450nm[1/Mm]: Dry aerosol scattering coefficient measured at 450 nm by the CAPS, in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Temp_dry_CAPS[K]: Temperature inside the dry CAPS measurement chamber, in Kelvin. - Wet_RH_preCAPS[%]: Relative humidity before entering the wet CAPS, in percent. - Wet_RH_postCAPS[%]: Relative humidity after exiting the wet CAPS, in percent. - Humidifier_RH_CAPS[%]: Relative humidity inside the humidifier used with the CAPS, in percent. - dualCAPS_inlet_RH[%]: Relative humidity at the inlet of the dual (wet/dry) CAPS setup, in percent. - Wet_Temp_preCAPS[C]: Temperature before entering the wet CAPS, in degrees Celsius. - Wet_Temp_postCAPS[C]: Temperature after exiting the wet CAPS, in degrees Celsius. - Humidifier_Temp[C]: Temperature inside the humidifier used with the CAPS, in degrees Celsius. - dualCAPS_inlet_Temp[C]: Temperature at the inlet of the dual (wet/dry) CAPS setup, in degrees Celsius. - Zero_dry_CAPS: 1 is a calibration check for the dry CAPS to ensure zero reading under filter air conditions. - Zero_wet_CAPS: 1 is a calibration check for the wet CAPS to ensure zero reading under filter air conditions. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Condensation Particle Counter

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Condensational particle counter 3070 (TSI) Calibration: No calibration during the campaign. Files: data_10sec_CPC.csv, data_10min_CPC.csv Header: - NumberConcentration[/cm3]: Number concentration of aerosol particles measured by the CPC, expressed in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentration[/cm3]_QC: Number concentration of aerosol particles after quality control adjustments or filtering, expressed in particles per cubic centimeter. - QualityControl_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the measurement is flagged for quality control checks, (0=pass) - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (Droplet Measurements Technology) Data Notes: The WIBS is an online single-particle measurement that detects FBAPs (within a size range of 0.5 - 30 microns in diameter) based on the excitation and emission wavelengths of the individual particles. Using two xenon lamps, the WIBS excites FBAPs at 280 nm and 370 nm. Their emission is detected across two wavebands of 310-400 nm and 420-650 nm. We classified the FBAPs into seven different categories (A, B, C, AB, BC, AC, and ABC) using the classification scheme in Perring et. al. (2015) [1]. Averaged number concentration of FBAPs (total and by category) and particles that non-fluorescent bioaerosols particles (NFBAPs). In separate files, we also present one-minute-averaged size distributions and the asymmetry factor (AF, a surrogate for shape) of all FBAPs and NFBAPs. The logarithmic bin width of the size bins are the same as the average bin width of the AOS's optical particle counter (OPC, Grimm) for the range of sizes in which they overlap (26 bins from 0.5 - 30 microns). AF of the particles ranges from 0-100 and is divided into five bins with a linear spacing at increments of 20. The smallest AF bin represents more spherical particles while the largest bin represents more rod-shaped particles. [1] Perring, A. E., et al. (2015), Airborne observations of regional variation in fluorescent aerosol across the United States, J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 120, 1153–1170, doi:10.1002/2014JD022495. Abstract and description of the campaign can be found here : https://www.arm.gov/research/campaigns/amf2023epcape-pt-lanl. Files data_10min_WIBS_AFDist.csv Header: - FBAP_AFDist[/cm3]_Bin_1 to Bin_5: Concentration of fluorescent bioaerosol particles in the each of 5 AF bins, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. Each bin represents a specific range of particle AF, capturing the shapes of FBAPs detected during the measurement. - NFBAP_AFDist[/cm3]_Bin_1 to Bin_5: Concentration of non-fluorescent bioaerosol particles in the each of 5 AF bins, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. Each bin represents a specific range of particle AF, capturing the shapes of NFBAPs detected during the measurement. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement. AF Bins: • Bin 1: 0 – 20 [unitless] • Bin 2: 21 – 40 [unitless] • Bin 3: 41 – 60 [unitless] • Bin 4: 61 – 80 [unitless] • Bin 5: 81 – 100 [unitless] Files data_10min_WIBS_Conc.csv Header: - NumberConcentrationA[/cm3]: Number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by fluorescence channel A, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationB[/cm3]: Number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by fluorescence channel B, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationC[/cm3]: Number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by fluorescence channel C, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationAB[/cm3]: Combined number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by both fluorescence channels A and B, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationBC[/cm3]: Combined number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by both fluorescence channels B and C, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationAC[/cm3]: Combined number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by both fluorescence channels A and C, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationABC[/cm3]: Combined number concentration of bioaerosol particles detected by all three fluorescence channels A, B, and C, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - NumberConcentrationNFBAP[/cm3]: Number concentration of non-fluorescent bioaerosol particles, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement. Files data_10min_WIBS_SizeDist.csv Header: - FBAP_SizeDist[/cm3]_Bin_1 to FBAP_SizeDist[/cm3]_Bin_26: Number concentrations of FBAP in each of 26 size bins, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. Each bin represents a specific range of particle sizes, capturing the size distribution of FBAPs detected during the measurement. - NFBAP_SizeDist[/cm3]_Bin_1 to NFBAP_SizeDist[/cm3]_Bin_26: Number concentrations of NFBAP in each of 26 size bins, measured in particles per cubic centimeter. Similar to FBAP, each bin covers a specific range of particle sizes, detailing the size distribution of NFBAPs detected. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement. Size Bins: • Bin 1: 0.48 to 0.57 μm • Bin 2: 0.57 to 0.67 μm • Bin 3: 0.67 to 0.79 μm • Bin 4: 0.79 to 0.93 μm • Bin 5: 0.93 to 1.1 μm • Bin 6: 1.1 to 1.29 μm • Bin 7: 1.29 to 1.52 μm • Bin 8: 1.52 to 1.8 μm • Bin 9: 1.8 to 2.11 μm • Bin 10: 2.11 to 2.5 μm • Bin 11: 2.5 to 2.94 μm • Bin 12: 2.94 to 3.46 μm • Bin 13: 3.46 to 4.08 μm • Bin 14: 4.08 to 4.81 μm • Bin 15: 4.81 to 5.67 μm • Bin 16: 5.67 to 6.68 μm • Bin 17: 6.68 to 7.88 μm • Bin 18: 7.88 to 9.29 μm • Bin 19: 9.29 to 10.96 μm • Bin 20: 10.96 to 12.92 μm • Bin 21: 12.92 to 15.23 μm • Bin 22: 15.23 to 17.96 μm • Bin 23: 17.96 to 21.17 μm • Bin 24: 21.17 to 24.96 μm • Bin 25: 24.96 to 29.43 μm • Bin 26: 29.43 to 34.70 μm

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: Photoacoustic Extinctometer

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Photoacoustic Extinctiometer at 870 nm (Droplet Measurement Technology) Header: - AbsorptionNoise_870nm[1/Mm]: Noise level associated with the absorption measurement at 870 nm, expressed in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Absorption_870nm[1/Mm]: Absorption coefficient of aerosols measured at 870 nm, expressed in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Extinction_870nm[1/Mm]: Extinction coefficient of aerosols measured at 870 nm, expressing the sum of scattering and absorption by aerosols, in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Scattering_870nm[1/Mm]: Scattering coefficient of aerosols measured at 870 nm, expressed in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - BackgroundAbsorption_870nm[1/Mm]: Background absorption measurement at 870 nm, used to correct the primary absorption data, expressed in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - BackgroundScattering_870nm[1/Mm]: Background scattering measurement at 870 nm, used to correct the primary scattering data, expressed in inverse megameters (Mm⁻¹). - Temperature[C]: The ambient temperature at the time of the measurement, expressed in degrees Celsius. - RelativeHumidity[%]: The relative humidity at the time of the measurement, expressed as a percentage. - CVI_Flag[bool]: A boolean flag indicating whether the Counterflow Virtual Impactor (CVI) was active (true) or inactive (false) during the measurement

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EPCAPE-PT-LANL Measurements: PM Modulair 1

Coastal cities offer a unique environment for studying aerosol-cloud interactions and the effects of urban emissions on cloud properties. As part of the Eastern Pacific Cloud Aerosol Precipitation Experiment (EPCAPE), the Partitioning Thrust by Los Alamos National Laboratory (EPCAPE-PT-LANL) was conducted. Our campaign focused on measuring the optical and chemical properties of aerosols and their interactions within marine stratocumulus clouds in La Jolla, California. EPCAPE-PT-LANL enhances the primary goals of EPCAPE through innovative observations of vapor-phase transitions between aerosols and cloud droplets, the impact of black carbon on aerosol-cloud dynamics, and the effects of cloud processing on aerosol optical properties. Instrument: Quant-AQ MODULAIR. Mounted external to the instrument container, near the GCVI inlet. The MODULAIR™ air quality monitor uses the same patent-pending PM sensor found in the MODULAIR™-PM and adds four gas-phase measurements (CO, NO, NO2, and O3) to provide an all-in-one solution. Files data_10sec_Quant_Gas.csv, data_10min_Quant_Gas.csv Header: - CO[ppb]: Concentration of carbon monoxide (CO) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per billion (ppb) - NO[ppb]: Concentration of nitric oxide (NO) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per billion (ppb). - O3[ppb]: Concentration of ozone (O3) measured at the time of sampling, expressed in parts per billion (ppb). - Temperature[C]: The ambient temperature at the time of the measurement, expressed in degrees Celsius. - RelativeHumidity[%]: The relative humidity at the time of the measurement, expressed as a percentage. Files data_10sec_Quant_PM.csv, data_10min_Quant_PM.csv Header: - PM1[ug/m3]: Concentration of particulate matter with a diameter of 1 micron or less, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). - PM2-5[ug/m3]: Concentration of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). - PM10[ug/m3]: Concentration of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). - Temperature[C]: The ambient temperature at the time of the measurement, expressed in degrees Celsius. - RelativeHumidity[%]: The relative humidity at the time of the measurement, expressed as a percentage.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Impact of biomass burning aerosols on radiation, clouds, and precipitation over the Amazon: relative importance of aerosol–cloud and aerosol–radiation interactions

Biomass burning (BB) aerosols can influence regional and global climate through interactions with radiation, clouds, and precipitation. Here, we investigate the impact of BB aerosols on the energy balance and hydrological cycle over the Amazon Basin during the dry season. We performed simulations with a fully coupled meteorology–chemistry model, the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem), for a range of different BB emission scenarios to explore and characterize nonlinear effects and individual contributions from aerosol–radiation interactions (ARIs) and aerosol–cloud interactions (ACIs). The ARIs of BB aerosols tend to suppress low-level liquid clouds by local warming and increased evaporation and to facilitate the formation of high-level ice clouds by enhancing updrafts and condensation at high altitudes. In contrast, the ACIs of BB aerosol particles tend to enhance the formation and lifetime of low-level liquid clouds by providing more cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and to suppress the formation of high-level ice clouds by reducing updrafts and condensable water vapor at high altitudes (>8 km). For scenarios representing the lower and upper limits of BB emission estimates for recent years (2002–2016), we obtained total regional BB aerosol radiative forcings of –0.2 and 1.5 W m –2 , respectively, showing that the influence of BB aerosols on the regional energy balance can range from modest cooling to strong warming. We find that ACIs dominate at low BB emission rates and low aerosol optical depth (AOD), leading to an increased cloud liquid water path (LWP) and negative radiative forcing, whereas ARIs dominate at high BB emission rates and high AOD, leading to a reduction of LWP and positive radiative forcing. In all scenarios, BB aerosols led to a decrease in the frequency of occurrence and rate of precipitation, caused primarily by ACI effects at low aerosol loading and by ARI effects at high aerosol loading. The dependence of precipitation reduction on BB aerosol loading is greater in a strong convective regime than under weakly convective conditions. Overall, our results show that ACIs tend to saturate at high aerosol loading, whereas the strength of ARIs continues to increase and plays a more important role in highly polluted episodes and regions. This should hold not only for BB aerosols over the Amazon, but also for other light-absorbing aerosols such as fossil fuel combustion aerosols in industrialized and densely populated areas. The importance of ARIs at high aerosol loading highlights the need for accurately characterizing aerosol optical properties in the investigation of aerosol effects on clouds, precipitation, and climate.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Radiative heating rate profiles over the southeast Atlantic Ocean during the 2016 and 2017 biomass burning seasons

Marine boundary layer clouds, including the transition from stratocumulus to cumulus, are poorly represented in numerical weather prediction and general circulation models. Further uncertainties in the cloud structure arise in the presence of biomass burning carbonaceous aerosol, as is the case over the southeast Atlantic Ocean, where biomass burning aerosol is transported from the African continent. As the aerosol plume progresses across the southeast Atlantic Ocean, radiative heating within the aerosol layer has the potential to alter the thermodynamic environment and therefore the cloud structure; however, limited work has been done to quantify this along the trajectory of the aerosol plume in the region. The deployment of the first Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF1) in support of the Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds field campaign provided a unique opportunity to collect observations of cloud and aerosol properties during two consecutive biomass burning seasons during July through October of 2016 and 2017 over Ascension Island (7.96° S, 14.35° W). Using observed profiles of temperature, humidity, and clouds from the field campaign alongside aerosol optical properties from Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), as input for the Rapid Radiation Transfer Model (RRTM), profiles of the radiative heating rate due to aerosols and clouds were computed. Radiative heating is also assessed across the southeast Atlantic Ocean using an ensemble of back trajectories from the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Idealized experiments using the RRTM with and without aerosols and a range of values for the single-scattering albedo (SSA) demonstrate that shortwave (SW) heating within the aerosol layer above Ascension Island can locally range between 2 and 8 K d -1 depending on the aerosol optical properties, though impacts of the aerosol can be felt elsewhere in the atmospheric column. When considered under clear conditions, the aerosol has a cooling effect at the TOA, and based on the observed cloud properties at Ascension Island, the cloud albedo is not large enough to overcome this. Shortwave radiative heating due to biomass burning aerosol is not balanced by additional longwave (LW) cooling, and the net radiative impact results in a stabilization of the lower troposphere. However, these results are extremely sensitive to the single-scattering albedo assumptions in models.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

SAIL Aerosol Vertical Profiles (SAIL-AVP) Field Campaign Report

Aerosols are central to understanding the water cycle within mountainous regions, but a complete understanding of this role cannot be provided without vertically resolved observations, particularly for aerosol-cloud interactions, since we simultaneously need to know aerosol information and meteorology near cloud bases. The goal of SAIL Aerosol Vertical Profiles (SAIL-AVP) was to perform tethered balloon system (TBS) measurements during different seasons to elucidate process-level understanding of the aerosols and associated meteorological conditions within complex mountainous terrain. Measurements were conducted during the deployment of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility’s second Mobile Facility (AMF2) as part of the Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory (SAIL) campaign in the East River Watershed of the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) in southwestern Colorado. In mid-latitude continental interior mountain ranges, and especially at SAIL, aerosol vertical profiles and their relationships with meteorology are, almost without exception, inferred from a combination of ground-based and remote-sensing data. These flights provided many more dimensions to aerosol-cloud interactions that are unavailable to those inferential approaches: the TBS collected in situ information in the vertical, optical, chemical, and biological dimensions for aerosol-cloud interactions. Furthermore, the collocation of these flights with longstanding collaborative resources in the region, including the ongoing surface and subsurface hydrologic observations from the DOE’s Watershed Function Science Focus Area (SFA), produced a unique set of atmospheric observations that are complemented by existing land-surface and subsurface (e.g., groundwater) observations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Annual cycle of aerosol properties over the central Arctic during MOSAiC 2019–2020 – light-extinction, CCN, and INP levels from the boundary layer to the tropopause

Abstract. The MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) expedition was the largest Arctic field campaign ever conducted. MOSAiC offered the unique opportunity to monitor and characterize aerosols and clouds with high vertical resolution up to 30 km height at latitudes from 80 to 90∘ N over an entire year (October 2019 to September 2020). Without a clear knowledge of the complex aerosol layering, vertical structures, and dominant aerosol types and their impact on cloud formation, a full understanding of the meteorological processes in the Arctic, and thus advanced climate change research, is impossible. Widespread ground-based in situ observations in the Arctic are insufficient to provide these required aerosol and cloud data. In this article, a summary of our MOSAiC observations of tropospheric aerosol profiles with a state-of-the-art multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar aboard the icebreaker Polarstern is presented. Particle optical properties, i.e., light-extinction profiles and aerosol optical thickness (AOT), and estimates of cloud-relevant aerosol properties such as the number concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are discussed, separately for the lowest part of the troposphere (atmospheric boundary layer, ABL), within the lower free troposphere (around 2000 m height), and at the cirrus level close to the tropopause. In situ observations of the particle number concentration and INPs aboard Polarstern are included in the study. A strong decrease in the aerosol amount with height in winter and moderate vertical variations in summer were observed in terms of the particle extinction coefficient. The 532 nm light-extinction values dropped from >50 Mm−1 close to the surface to <5 Mm−1 at 4–6 km height in the winter months. Lofted, aged wildfire smoke layers caused a re-increase in the aerosol concentration towards the tropopause. In summer (June to August 2020), much lower particle extinction coefficients, frequently as low as 1–5 Mm−1, were observed in the ABL. Aerosol removal, controlled by in-cloud and below-cloud scavenging processes (widely suppressed in winter and very efficient in summer) in the lowermost 1–2 km of the atmosphere, seems to be the main reason for the strong differences between winter and summer aerosol conditions. A complete annual cycle of the AOT in the central Arctic could be measured. This is a valuable addition to the summertime observations with the sun photometers of the Arctic Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). In line with the pronounced annual cycle in the aerosol optical properties, typical CCN number concentrations (0.2 % supersaturation level) ranged from 50–500 cm−3 in winter to 10–100 cm−3 in summer in the ABL. In the lower free troposphere (at 2000 m), however, the CCN level was roughly constant throughout the year, with values mostly from 30 to 100 cm−3. A strong contrast between winter and summer was also given in terms of ABL INPs which control ice production in low-level clouds. While soil dust (from surrounding continents) is probably the main INP type during the autumn, winter, and spring months, local sea spray aerosol (with a biogenic aerosol component) seems to dominate the ice nucleation in the ABL during the summer months (June–August). The strong winter vs. summer contrast in the INP number concentration by roughly 2–3 orders of magnitude in the lower troposphere is, however, mainly caused by the strong cloud temperature contrast. A unique event of the MOSAiC expedition was the occurrence of a long-lasting wildfire smoke layer in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Our observations suggest that the smoke particles frequently triggered cirrus formation close to the tropopause from October 2019 to May 2020.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Windowless Optical Cell Flow System

One of the goals for advanced integrated nuclear safeguards is on-line optical analysis of molten salt in molten salt reactors and electrochemical fuel reprocessing facilities. While progress has been made in the development of optical techniques that may be suitable for on-line analysis of molten salts, significant technology gaps exist with regard to integrating these analytical techniques into industrial-scale processes. One key technological hurdle is the short service life of optical window materials, which are subject to clouding and scaling during extended exposure to molten salts. To address this issue, Argonne is developing a gravity flow cell with open-apertures to support on-line optical analysis without the need for salt-wetted windows. The flow cell uses gravity flow and fluid dynamics principles to enable molten salt flow through a pipe that has holes in its wall through which salt does not flow. In FY21, an open-aperture gravity flow cell with windowless optical access to flowing salt was successfully demonstrated. Future work should include the integration of the flow cell into a sampling loop, stakeholder outreach and collaboration, integration of multiple optical analysis techniques, evaluation of the integrated methods, and analyses to determine how the various tools might fit into an integrated safeguards monitoring system of unattended near real time monitoring tools.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Leveraging machine learning to enhance aerosol classification using Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry

Advancing automated classification of atmospheric aerosols from Single-Particle Mass Spectrometry (SPMS) data remains challenging due to overlapping ion signatures, compositional diversity, and limited labeled data. This study evaluates supervised and semi-supervised learning frameworks to enhance aerosol identification by jointly leveraging labeled and unlabeled spectra. Four models were compared: a supervised Support Vector Machine (SVM), a self-training SVM, a stacked autoencoder classifier, and a stacked autoencoder trained using a temporal-ensembling Mean Teacher approach. All models achieved high and stable accuracies (90.0 %–91.1 %), surpassing previous results on the same dataset (87 %) and matching the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning methods. Despite small global metric differences (≤ 1 %), semi-supervised variants yielded up to 5 %–10 % improvements for compositionally rare particle types – such as soot (0.77 % of spectra, F1-score: 0.93–0.97) and hazelnut pollen (0.98 % of spectra, F1-score: 0.97–1.00) – equating to roughly ∼ 187 additional correctly classified spectra. These gains are scientifically significant, as such rare particles exert disproportionate influence on radiative absorption and ice nucleation processes; their improved detection reduces modeled uncertainties in aerosol absorption optical depth and mixed-phase cloud ice nucleation rates. The models' residual misclassifications (≈ 9 %) largely arise from true spectral overlap among chemically adjacent species (e.g., Na- vs. K-feldspar, coated vs. uncoated feldspars), reflecting physical compositional continuity rather than algorithmic error. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that leveraging unlabeled data to learn robust spectral representations and refine classification enhances both fidelity and interpretability, bridging data-driven analysis with aerosol–climate process understanding.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗