Charge and size distribution of mesospheric aerosol particles measured inside NLC and PMSE during MIDAS MaCWAVE 2002

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During the MIDAS MaCWAVE sounding rocket campaign performed at Andøya, Norway (16°E, 69°N), from 29 June to 5 July 2002, charged aerosol probes aboard a MIDAS rocket detected a mixture of charged aerosol particles with different charges and sizes. Two charged aerosol probes were used on the MIDAS payload. The first probe, a collection surface shielded by a magnetic field, was optimized for the detection of negative aerosol particles. The second probe, a collection surface shielded by a magnetic field and a positive bias voltage, was optimized for detecting positive aerosol particles. On 2 July 2002, a MIDAS payload was launched into a simultaneous noctilucent cloud (NLC) and polar mesospheric summer echo (PMSE). The two probes measured a charge and size distribution of aerosol particles: a narrow layer of both small (1 nm<radius<10 nm) and large (radius⩾10 nm) negative aerosol particles inside the NLC, and also a broad layer of small (1 nm<radius<10 nm) positive aerosol particles spread across the lower portion of the PMSE that reached maximum density inside the NLC.