Dual-wavelength light-scattering technique for selective detection of volcanic ash particles in the presence of water droplets
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Authors
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Publication date
2015
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01A - Journal article
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Parent work
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
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Volume
8
Issue / Number
12
Pages / Duration
5213–5222
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Publisher / Publishing institution
Copernicus
Place of publication / Event location
Göttingen
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Abstract
A new method is presented in this paper which analyses the scattered light of individual aerosol particles simultaneously at two different wavelengths in order to retrieve information on the particle type. We show that dust-like particles, such as volcanic ash, can be unambiguously discriminated from water droplets on a single-particle level. As a future application of this method, the detection of volcanic ash particles should be possible in a humid atmosphere in the presence of cloud droplets. The characteristic behaviour of pure water's refractive index can be used to separate water droplets and dust-like particles which are commonly found in the micrometre size range in the ambient air. The low real part of the water's refractive index around 2700–2800 nm results in low scattered light intensities compared to e.g. the visible wavelength range, and this feature can be used for the desired particle identification. The two-wavelength measurement set-up was theoretically and experimentally tested and studied. Theoretical calculations were done using Mie theory. Comparing the ratio of the scattered light at the two wavelengths (visible-to-IR (infrared), R value) for water droplets and different dust types (basalt, andesite, African mineral dust, sand, volcanic ash, pumice) showed at least 9-times-higher values (on average 70 times) for water droplets than for the dust types at any diameter within the particle size range of 2–20 μm. The envisaged measurement set-up was built up into a laboratory prototype and was tested with different types of aerosols. We generated aerosols from the following powders, simulating dust-like particles: cement dust, ISO 12103-1 A1 Ultrafine Test Dust and ash from the 2012 eruption of the Etna volcano. Our measurements verified the theoretical considerations; the median experimental R value is 8–21 times higher for water than for the "dust" particles.
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Subject (DDC)
620 - Ingenieurwissenschaften und Maschinenbau
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ISBN
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1867-8548
1867-1381
1867-1381
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Gold
Citation
JURÁNYI, Zsófia, Heinz BURTSCHER, Markus LOEPFE, Maxim NENKOV und Ernest WEINGARTNER, 2015. Dual-wavelength light-scattering technique for selective detection of volcanic ash particles in the presence of water droplets. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. 2015. Bd. 8, Nr. 12, S. 5213–5222. DOI 10.5194/amt-8-5213-2015. Verfügbar unter: https://doi.org/10.26041/fhnw-8090