A microfluidic ice nucleating particle counter for continuous measurements from small aerial platforms

Quantifying atmospheric aerosol, clouds and precipitation processes are critical needs for understanding and interpreting Earth’s changing energy budget, is a DOE objective, and is of broader benefit to the public. Specifically, the formation of ice in the atmosphere depends on the nature and abundance of ice nucleating particles, and has major implications for precipitation and cloud interactions with incoming solar radiation. Improved observational capabilities are required to advance understanding of ice nucleating particles, and there is a substantial gap between current needs and existing instruments, particularly those suitable for newly developed unmanned platforms. This project develops a new commercial instrument for measuring ice nucleating particles based on microfluidic techniques, which involve manipulating fluids on sub- millimeter scales. The small size and power requirements possible thanks to the use of microfluidic methods allow for the development of an instrument small enough for use on unmanned platforms.