Laboratory polarization nephelometer for measurements of optical properties of aerosols

Polarization measurements are a powerful tool for better documentation of a variety of liquid and solid particles found in the Earth's atmosphere. Because the solid particles have a non-symmetrical shape, which thereby prevents modelling calculations, it is necessary to build a database of the scattering properties of irregular solid particles in order to interpret the results of remote sensing measurements from aircraft, balloon and satellite. A new laboratory polarization nephelometer was built for this purpose. The particles are levitated by continuous airflow, and are illuminated by a laser at a wavelength of 802 nm. Two avalanche photodiode sensors are used for recording the components of the scattered light perpendicular and parallel to the scattering plane. Detector amplifiers allow light-power detection from a few microwatts down to a few picowatts. Measurements with liquid droplets, made for scattering angles in the 20 degrees-160 degrees range, are in agreement with theoretical calculations, showing that the instrument works well. The first results obtained for irregular solid particles are also presented.