Microphysical properties of synoptic-scale polar stratospheric clouds: in situ measurements of unexpectedly large HNO3-containing particles in the Arctic vortex

Kurzfassung

In January 2010 and December 2011, synopticscale polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) fields were probed during seven flights of the high-altitude research aircraft M- 55 Geophysica within the RECONCILE (Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interaction) and the ESSenCe (ESSenCe: ESA Sounder Campaign) projects. Particle size distributions in a diameter range between 0.46 and 40 μm were recorded by four different optical in situ instruments. Three of these particle instruments are based on the detection of forward-scattered light by single particles. The fourth instrument is a grayscale optical array imaging probe. Optical particle diameters of up to 35 μm were detected with particle number densities and total particle volumes exceeding previous Arctic measurements. Also, gas-phase and particle-bound NOy was measured, as well as water vapor concentrations.