Investigating the link between cirrus ice crystal microphysical and depolarization properties in cloud chamber studies

Ice containing clouds are a major source of uncertainty in current climate models. Remote sensing of accurate short wave scattering properties of ice clouds can lead to an improvement. The newer generation of satellite based lidar measurements can detect the depolarization of clouds. However, in situ laboratory studies with simultaneous measurements of the optics and microphysics of ice clouds are needed to link these optical properties to the ice crystal microphysical properties. This contribution gives an overview of the depolarization measurements with the Laser Light Scattering and Depolarization Instrument (SIMONE) in cirrus regime during the three Rough ICE (RICE) particle campaigns that took place between November 2012 and December 2014 in the AIDA cloud chamber in Karlsruhe. The measured depolarization in the backscattering direction at an angle of 178° is analyzed for its correlation with simultaneously measured particle microphysical properties, including size and shape retrieved from with the Small Ice Detector (SID-3) and the Particle Phase Discriminator (PPD). In addition, the correlation between the depolarization in the backscattering angle and the morphological complexity of the ice crystals measured with the SID-3 is investigated. ... mehrAn analysis of the correlation between the forming temperature of the clouds in the cloud chamber and the depolarization ratio of the ice crystals is furthermore presented.<br></p>