Angularly Resolved Light Scattering from Mineral Dust Particles: A Unified Approach Using Q-and Theta-Space Analysis

Dust is ubiquitous in the atmosphere and impacts the amount of sunlight reaching the surface, the development of clouds and precipitation, and even human health. Remote sensing of dust is complicated by the way that light interacts with irregularly shaped particles. The research conducted under this award will improve the understanding of the scattering effects of dust at a more detailed level than has previously been possible. This research will have impacts on a wide range of topics, from national security to human health, and improving the assessment of earth’s radiation balance. Light scattering is a common diagnostic and probe for monitoring dust aerosols in the atmosphere using optical properties observed through direct and remote sensing techniques. However, the high sensitivity of dust aerosol optical properties to size and size distribution, shape, and complex refractive index makes accurate characterization of atmospheric dust particles challenging. The objectives of this award are to use a state-of-the-science laboratory apparatus and dust samples from around the world to measure forward-, side-, and backscattering data and then to analyze those results with advanced methods known as Q- and Theta-space analysis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.