HR: 14:10h
AN: SA23B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: The Cloud Imaging and Particle Size Experiment on AIM
AU: * Rusch, D W
EM: Dave.Rusch@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Campus Box 392, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AU: Thomas, G E
EM: Gary.Thomas@lasp,colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Campus Box 392, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AU: McClintock, W
EM: William.Mcclintock@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Campus Box 392, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AU: Russell, J M
EM: James.Russell@Hamptonu.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Hampton University, 23 Tyler St., Hampton, VA 23668 United States
AU: Bailey, S
EM: Scott.Bailey@gi.alaska.edu
AF: Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, 903 Koyukuk Dr., Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Randall, C E
EM: Cora.Randall@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Campus Box 392, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AB: The Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment on the NASA mission Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) will provide unprecedented coverage of Polar Mesospheric Cloud (PMC) morphology and microphysics. The AIM mission is scheduled for launch in the fall of 2006. CIPS is one of three science instruments on AIM, whose primary objective is to reveal why PMCs form and how & why they vary. CIPS will image the PMC cloud deck with 2 km resolution, and will measure the scattering phase function of PMCs along with other microphysical properties such as particle size and water content. The instrument consists of four wide angle cameras with a combined field of regard of 80 by 120 degrees. The camera field of view is centered at the nadir. The clouds are imaged at 265 nm, taking advantage of the strong absorption characteristic of ozone at this wavelength to enhance the contrast of the cloud scattering with respect to the background Rayleigh scattering. We will discuss the instrument characteristics and the technique to derive cloud properties.
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801)
DE: 0394 Instruments and techniques
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting