SGER: Measurements in Exhaust Plumes of Rockets in Conjunction with WB-57F Ascent Video Experiment (WAVE)

大气的上对流层-下平流层(UTLS)区域在决定全球辐射平衡方面至关重要，而全球辐射平衡反过来又影响地球气候。这项探索研究小额赠款(SGER)涉及高度协作的跨学科研究，汇集了来自大学、政府和商业部门的科学家和工程师，他们使用飞机测量水蒸气、气雾水、二氧化碳、臭氧和粒子大小、数量和体积分布来研究UTLS区域的过程。调查人员感兴趣的具体问题包括：(1)微量物种对UTLS中冰粒的作用(S)；(2)影响新粒子成核、生长和损失的因素；(3)卤素化学循环在确定中层臭氧损失方面的作用；(4)影响UTLS动力学和混合的因素；以及(5)空中车辆排放的废气对UTLS化学、微物理和辐射平衡的影响。将在一些运载火箭的火箭排气羽流内外进行测量，包括阿特拉斯4号和德尔塔火箭以及从佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角肯尼迪航天中心发射的航天飞机。这项研究的结果将对约束大尺度的化学输送模式非常有用，并进一步改善我们目前对中大气水收支、非均质臭氧损失和新粒子形成的理解。这种高风险、高回报的SGER也有与之相关的各种更广泛的影响。这些措施包括为使用高空飞行飞机上的精确快速反应原位仪器在UTLS地区进行研究级测量提供基本的试验台，以及研究生参与作为其论文研究的一部分。

The upper troposphere-lower stratosphere (UTLS) region of the atmosphere is critically important in determining global radiative balance, which in turn influences the Earth's climate. This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) involves highly collaborative interdisciplinary research bringing together scientists and engineers from university, government and the commercial sector using aircraft measurements of water vapor, aerosol water, carbon dioxide, ozone and particle size, number and volume distribution to study processes in the UTLS region. Specific issues of interest to the investigators include: (1) the role(s) of trace species on ice particles in the UTLS; (2) factors influencing new particle nucleation, growth and loss; (3) the role of halogen chemical cycling in determining middle atmosphere ozone loss; (4) factors influencing dynamics and mixing of the UTLS; and (5) impact of airborne vehicle emissions on the chemistry, microphysics and radiative balance of the UTLS. Measurements will be made inside and outside of the rocket exhaust plumes of a number of launch vehicles, including Atlas IV and Delta rockets and the Space Shuttle launched from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Results from this study will be extremely useful in constraining large-scale chemical transport models and additionally improve our present understanding of the middle atmosphere water budget, heterogeneous ozone loss, and new particle formation. This high-risk high-reward SGER also has a variety of broader impacts associated with it. Those include providing a fundamental test bed for using precise fast-response in situ instruments from high-flying aircraft to make research-grade measurements in the UTLS region, and graduate student involvement as part of his/her dissertation research.