Retrieval of Aerosol Complex Refractive Index by Combining Cavity Ring Down Aerosol Spectrometer Measurements with Full Size Distribution Information

Abstract

Cavity ring down aerosol extinction measurements are combined with size distribution measurements to provide a multi-parameter basis for the retrieval of the aerosol complex refractive index. We show that two distinct size distributions of small particles (< 300 nm) suffice to obtain robust convergence of the Mie theory fit of the extinction function. Experiments are performed both for purely scattering and for absorbing aerosol. Thus this method provides a perspective to use cavity ring down aerosol spectroscopy in field and laboratory measurements that often suffer from low particle concentrations and a lack of large particles.