Among the greatest contemporary challenges faced by our society is climate change. One reason climate change has presented a challenge is because of the complex, and often interwoven, factors causing the  observed changes. While greenhouse gases are accurately measured and their impact well known, the emission of particles and the clouds they spawn are far less understood and form a large fraction of the uncertainty in projecting future change.
This seminar will address one important aspect of understanding atmospheric particles and clouds: how to design and deploy inlets on high-altitude and high-speed aircraft. These inlets need to be able to sample particulate matter without introducing biases due to particle properties, such as volatility or size. Likewise, biases due to aircraft motion, such as variable speed and angle of attack, also need to be considered. Relevant data from recent flights aboard platforms such as NASA’s DC-8 and ER-2 will be presented as well as concepts for future flights and aircraft.