Stratospheric aerosol observations from a balloon-borne polarimetric experiment
Abstract
This paper documents a balloon-borne experiment vis-a-vis the observation of the radiance and polarization ratio of sunlight scattered by the stratospheric aerosol at near-infrared wavelengths. Described are the results and preliminary analysis of the first flight, on December 15, 1983, at an altitude of 20 km. The observations, particularly the polarization features, are consistent with single scattering calculations for spherical particles with a mean radius of about 0.3 microns and with a refractive index of 1.45 at 0.85 microns; thus, the presence of sulfuric acid aerosol is corroborated.
- Publication:
-
Applied Optics
- Pub Date:
- October 1986
- DOI:
- 10.1364/AO.25.003573
- Bibcode:
- 1986ApOpt..25.3573H
- Keywords:
-
- Aerosols;
- Atmospheric Optics;
- Balloon-Borne Instruments;
- Infrared Radiometers;
- Light Scattering;
- Polarimeters;
- Microparticles;
- Radiance;
- Stratosphere;
- Sulfuric Acid;
- Instrumentation and Photography