Open AccessAerosol optics model for black carbon applicable to remote sensing, chemical data assimilation, and climate modelling
Author(s) -
Michael Kahnert,
Franz Kanngießer
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.422523
Subject(s) - aerosol , soot , carbon black , climate model , atmospheric optics , remote sensing , environmental science , data assimilation , optics , polarimetry , meteorology , materials science , climate change , scattering , physics , geology , chemistry , natural rubber , oceanography , organic chemistry , composite material , combustion
Aerosol optics models are an integral part of of climate models and of retrieval methods for global remote sensing observations. Such large-scale environmental applications place tight constraints on the affordable model complexity, which are difficult to reconcile with the considerable level of detail that is needed to capture the sensitivity of optical properties to morphological aerosol characteristics. Here, we develop a novel core-grey-shell dimer model and demonstrate its potential for reproducing radiometric and polarimetric properties of black carbon aerosols. The depolarisation is mainly sensitive to the relative size of the monomers, while the optical cross sections depend on the core-shell partitioning of black carbon. The optimum choice of these parameters is fairly stable across particle sizes and soot volume fraction, as is demonstrated by comparison with a more realistic coated aggregate model.