Pre-filter analysis for retrieval of microphysical particle parameters: a quality-assurance method applied to 3...

We analyze the solution space of 3β+2α optical data inferred from lidar measurements, i.e., backscatter coefficients at three wavelengths and extinction coefficients at two wavelengths. These optical data are governed by microphysical parameters that can be expressed in terms of particle size distribution, effective radius, and complex refractive index (CRI). In our analysis, we consider two scenarios of the solution space. First, it can be expressed in terms of monomodal particle size distributions represented either by fine modes or by coarse modes. Secondly, the particle size distributions contain a fine mode as well as a coarse mode. Consideration of both scenarios and different values of the effective radius and CRI allows us to find synthetic 3β+2α optical data and corresponding intensive parameters (IPs) such as lidar ratios, backscatter- and extinction-related Ångström exponents at the available measurement wavelengths. Based on interdependencies between synthetic IPs and various microphysical properties, the qualitative and quantitative criteria for the optical data quality-assurance tool are developed. We derive the conditions of smoothness, closeness, convergence, and stability of the solution space for the quantitative criteria to test the quality of the 3β+2α optical data. Our novel methodology, to the best of our knowledge, can be used not only for particles of spherical shape, but also for cases in which particles are irregularly shaped. Another strength of our methodology is that it also works for the case of a size-dependent and wavelength-dependent CRI. We show the potential of this methodology for a measurement case from the ORACLES campaign. Data were taken with NASA Langley's airborne HSRL-2 instrument on September 24, 2016.