Research Description
Clouds and airborne particles remain one of the largest sources of uncertainty in atmospheric science because they can either cool or warm the planet depending on where they are and how they form. A central challenge is understanding how tiny particles in the atmosphere initiate ice formation and how that process shapes the behavior of clouds. Luc Deike’s group plans to address this problem using a rapid-expansion cloud chamber that can recreate a wide range of atmospheric conditions in the laboratory. By varying temperature, humidity, pressure, particle type, and turbulence, they will compare clouds made mostly of ice with lower-altitude clouds that contain both droplets and ice. Optical and spectroscopic measurements will allow the researchers to watch cloud particles form and evolve in real time, helping reveal when ice begins to form, how crystals grow, and how turbulence changes the balance between liquid and icy cloud states.
Research Impact
Professor Deike’s work could provide a stronger experimental basis for understanding how ice forms in clouds and for testing competing ideas about cloud behavior. In time, these measurements could improve the physical descriptions used in atmospheric models and offer a clearer picture of how airborne particles influence cloud lifetime, brightness, and warming or cooling effects. More broadly, the project could help clarify how clouds respond to changing atmospheric conditions, contributing to a better understanding of one of atmospheric science’s most persistent uncertainties.
Message sent
Thank you for sharing.
related links
Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative 
Science
Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Back