MRI: Development--An Aerosol and Cloud Analysis System for the Caribbean

该项目试图组装一个永久性的进气口和仪器设备，用于研究暖云的微物理特性，即顶部温度高于零摄氏度的云，以及它们如何在涉及形成水滴的气溶胶颗粒的复杂过程中演变。在波多黎各的皮科埃斯特(PE)等山顶定期形成的云为研究云和气溶胶之间的相互作用提供了机会，特别是在气溶胶性质众所周知的地方。由于其独特的亚热带岛屿位置，PE站点在过去的测量项目中曾被许多国际研究小组使用。气溶胶和云分析系统(ACAS)将有一个开放和灵活的体系结构，可以容纳波多黎各大学皮埃德拉斯分校(UPRRP)购买或开发的或由客座研究组织提供的额外传感器。该仪器将常年在PE现场长期运行，用于持续的研究和教育推广。ACAS及其测量相关的云和气溶胶研究为广泛的教育机会提供了全面的培训基础，这些教育机会涉及了解测量技术、其局限性和不确定性、基础气溶胶和云化学和物理以及基础气象学。代表不足的学生群体将与科学家和最先进的仪器进行互动，并接触到独特的研究机会。项目成果将用于各种教育水平的学生和社区的教材中。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The project seeks to assemble a permanent inlet and instrumented facility for studying the microphysical properties of warm clouds, i.e. clouds whose tops are at temperatures greater than zero degrees Celsius, and how they evolve in a complex process involving the aerosol particles on which droplets form. Clouds that form regularly at mountaintops such as the Pico Este (PE) in Puerto Rico provide the opportunity to study the interaction between clouds and aerosols, especially at those locations where the properties of the aerosols are well known. The PE site has been used by a number of international research groups in past measurement programs because of its unique, sub-tropical island location. The Aerosol and Cloud Analysis System (ACAS) will have an open and flexible architecture that will accommodate additional sensors that are either acquired or developed by the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (UPRRP), or that are provided by guest research organizations. This instrument will remain permanently operational at the PE site year-round for ongoing research and educational outreach. The ACAS and the cloud and aerosol research associated with its measurements, provides a comprehensive training ground for a broad range of educational opportunities related to understanding the measurement techniques, their limitations and uncertainties, fundamental aerosol and cloud chemistry and physics, and basic meteorology. Underrepresented student groups will interact with scientists and state-of-the-art instrumentation and be exposed to unique research opportunities. Project results will be used in educational materials for students and communities over a range of educational levels.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.