Duration: 36 months
Most airborne particles, or aerosols, are submicron (size<500nm) and constitute the majority of aerosols (1, 2). They are the most critical component in Earth's climate and play an essential role in changing climate (3). Yet, space-borne observation can not account for their size distribution, shape, topography, surfaces, selected composition, and many other physicochemical characteristics significant in aerosol-cloud interactions (4-6). Thus, there is an utmost need to improve understanding of the role of aerosols in the Earth's climate system. Here, we aim to detect nanosized particles (size < 500 nm) in the air using novel technology developed and patent pending (P. A. Ariya and D. Pal, US and CA, No.63/161,215; CA 3, 183, 407) at McGill University, Nano-DIHM.We have demonstrated that the Nano-DIHM successfully measures the four-dimensional tracking of the vast size range of aerosol particles, shape, and surface properties in various fluids, including air, water, and snow, using a relatively inexpensive laser and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (7, 8).In this proposal, First, we will develop a next-generation Nano-DIHM capable of aircraft-based observations in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada, and optimize and test it at different atmospheric conditions. The prototype will be ready for Earth's atmosphere exploration at the end of year 2.The central added value of this project is that it enables the integration of 4D physicochemical data of aerosol particles from ESA Earth Explorers into Earth climate models. This 4D physicochemical data can be used to develop a better retrieval algorithm for aerosol extraction from satellite observations and Lidar networks. The combination of satellite-based data and surface observations implementation in climate models allows us to better understand the physicochemical processes in aerosol-cloud interactions, enabling a better projection of Earth's radiative budget, and the future climate.
