Advancements to the Handix Scientific Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber

EZRA LEVIN, Gavin McMeeking, Russell Perkins, Matt Freer, Anna Hodshire, Anna Gannet Hallar, Tom Ramin, Handix Scientific

     Abstract Number: 421
     Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods

Abstract
Ice nucleating particles (INP) are necessary for primary ice formation in clouds and play a crucial role in precipitation formation and alteration of cloud radiative properties. Despite their importance, however, there are limited measurements of INPs, largely due to the historical limitations of INP instrumentation, which until recently required an on-site operator or labor-intensive post processing of collected samples. New advancements in INP measurement technology have greatly improved our ability to make more frequent and longer-term measurements. One such instrument is the Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber – Ice Activation Spectrometer (CFDC-IAS, Handix Scientific) which is based on the well-established design of the Colorado State University CFDC but modified to allow for near-continuous and autonomous operation. In this presentation we will discuss changes made to the CFDC to improve usability and reliability and will present data from a four-month deployment of the instrument at Storm Peak Laboratory in the mountains of Colorado. We will also present recent advancements to the instrument to allow for mobile measurements from both a ground based mobile laboratory and a research aircraft.