Advancing Planetary Climate Science with the Planetary Cloud Aerosols Research Facility (PCARF)
MIKE PAUKEN, Luca Valdarno, Marcel Veismann, Dejian Fu, Joseph Salazar, Richard Flagan, Will Cantrell, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech
Abstract Number: 543
Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract
Clouds and aerosols play critical roles in a planet's climate and weather systems. They affect the distribution of heat and energy, which influence temperature, precipitation patterns, and atmospheric circulation. By studying these components through atmospheric modeling, in situ measurements, remote observations, and physical experiments, scientists can better understand climate variations, surface to atmospheric interactions, and weather phenomena. JPL is developing a research facility, the Planetary Cloud Aerosols Research Facility (PCARF), to conduct physical experiments on the formation, evolution, and other characteristics of aerosols within planetary environments. This facility will provide an advanced understanding of the microphysics, chemistry, and thermodynamics governing aerosol dynamics in the various planetary conditions that occur. This facility will be useful to corroborate and validate data from analytical models, remote sensing or in situ measurement data.
PCARF is comprised of several components designed to simulate and investigate the formation and behavior of planetary aerosols. The facility encompasses a chemical introduction system, serving the dual purpose of introducing both major and minor gas constituents into the chamber and providing Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) to initiate cloud formation processes. The vacuum chamber, capable of generating vacuum conditions to replicate the atmospheric pressures across planetary environments.
A key feature within the facility is the temperature-controlled shroud, equipped with bottom, top and side wall temperature controls. This setup facilitates a temperature gradient, with the top plate colder than the bottom plate creating a Rayleigh-Bérnard turbulent mixing dynamics. Furthermore, the sampling instrumentation includes an Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (DMPS), and Optical Particle Spectrometer (OPS), allowing for precise and comprehensive analysis of aerosol properties within the chamber. In addition, the facility includes a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) setup to enable real-time tracking of particles, offering insights into the fluid dynamics within the simulated atmospheric conditions.