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

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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.