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UV limb‐scatter spectra of noctilucent clouds consistent with mono‐modal particle size distribution
Author(s) -
von Savigny C.,
Burrows J. P.,
Rapp M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl028846
Subject(s) - sciamachy , spectral line , particle size distribution , spectrometer , range (aeronautics) , physics , optics , computational physics , remote sensing , particle size , materials science , geology , astronomy , paleontology , composite material
Limb‐backscatter spectra of noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are retrieved from limb measurements made with the Scanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY (SCIAMACHY) on the Envisat satellite. The spectral dependence of many hundred sun‐normalized NLC spectra measured during the 2005 NLC season in the northern hemisphere can be well approximated with a power‐law in the 240–300 nm spectral range. In particular, no spectral signatures indicative of the presence of a second particle mode at radii exceeding 200 nm are found, in contradiction to recent studies. The results presented are consistent with a mono‐modal NLC particle size distribution.