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1. A light-scattering study of highly refractive, irregularly shaped MoS2 particles

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2019.106757  

   Gautam, P.; Sorensen, C. M. (January 2020, Journal of quantitative spectroscopy and radiative transfer)

   We present measurements of light scattering intensity from aerosolized, micron sized, irregularly shaped, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) particles in order to study the effects of a refractive index, m = n + i κ, with large real and imaginary parts. Light scattering was measured over a range of angles from 0.32 °to 157 °. Calibration was achieved by scattering with micron sized, spherical silica particles. Light scattering for both particle types was compared to theoretical Mie scattering calculations using size distributions deter- mined by an aerodynamic particle sizer. Effects of the intensity weighted size distribution are discussed. We find that scattering by these irregularly shaped, highly refractive particles is well described by Mie scattering. We also find that when the quantity κkR, where kR = 2 πR/ λis the size parameter, is greater than one, there is no enhancement in the backscattering. Finally, we show that Guinier analysis of light scattering by highly refractive particles yields intensity weighted mean sizes of reasonable accuracy for any shape. 

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2. glitterin: Toward Replacing the Role of Lorenz–Mie Theory in Astronomy Using Neural Networks Trained on Light Scattering of Irregularly Shaped Grains

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ae1e2f  

   Lin_林, Zhe-Yu_Daniel 哲宇; Weinberger, Alycia J; Zubko, Evgenij; Arnold, Jessica A; Videen, Gorden (December 2025, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific)

   Light scattering by dust particles is often modeled assuming the dust is spherical for numerical simplicity and speed. However, real dust particles have highly irregular morphologies that significantly affect their scattering properties. We have developed glitterin, a neural network trained to predict light scattering from irregularly shaped dust grains, offering a computationally efficient alternative to Lorenz–Mie theory. We computed scattering properties using the discrete dipole approximation code ADDA for irregularly shaped particles across size parameters x from 0.1 to 65, covering a range in complex refractive index m that includes astrosilicates, pyroxene, enstatite, water ice, etc. The neural network operates at millisecond timescales while maintaining superior accuracy compared to linear interpolation. Irregular grains exhibit x-dependent deviations from spherical predictions. At small x, cross sections approach volume-equivalent spheres for low m. At large x, irregular grains show enhanced cross sections due to greater geometric extension. Increasing m also enhances the absorption cross section relative to the volume-equivalent spheres. This differential x and m dependence creates mid-IR solid-state features distinct from predictions from spherical grains. Validation against laboratory measurements of forsterite and hematite demonstrates that our neural network captures both qualitative and quantitative behaviors more accurately than spherical models. Millimeter-wavelength applications reveal that spherical grains produce opposite polarization signatures compared to irregular grains, potentially relaxing stringent ∼100 μm grain size constraints in protoplanetary disks. glitterin is publicly available and alleviates the computational barriers to incorporating emission and scattering of realistic grain morphologies in the dust inference and radiative transfer simulations for debris disks and other astronomical environments. 

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3. Small and large particle limits of single scattering alb e do for homogeneous, spherical particles

   Moosmuller, H.; Sorensen, C. M. (January 2018, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer)

   The aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) is the dominant intensive particle parameter determining aerosols direct radiative forcing. For homogeneous spherical particles and a complex refractive index in- dependent of wavelength, the SSA is solely dependent on size parameter (ratio of particle circumference and wavelength) and complex refractive index of the particle. Here, we explore this dependency for the small and large particle limits with size parameters much smaller and much larger than one. We show that in the small particle limit of Rayleigh scattering, a novel, generalized size parameter can be introduced that unifies the SSA dependence on particle size parameter independent of complex refractive index. In the large particle limit, SSA decreases with increasing product of imaginary part of the refractive index and size parameter, another generalized parameter, until this product becomes about one, then stays fairly constant until the imaginary part of the refractive index becomes comparable with the real part minus one. Beyond this point, particles start to acquire metallic character and SSA quickly increases with the imaginary part of the refractive index and approaches one. 

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4. Decrease in sulfate aerosol light backscattering by reactive uptake of isoprene epoxydiols

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d0cp05468b  

   Dubois, C.; Cholleton, D.; Gemayel, R.; Chen, Y.; Surratt, J. D.; George, C.; Rairoux, P.; Miffre, A.; Riva, M. (March 2021, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics)

   null (Ed.)

   Sulfate aerosol is responsible for a net cooling of the Earth's atmosphere due to its ability to backscatter light. Through atmospheric multiphase chemistry, it reacts with isoprene epoxydiols leading to the formation of aerosol and organic compounds, including organosulfates and high-molecular weight compounds. In this study, we evaluate how sulfate aerosol light backscattering is modified in the presence of such organic compounds. Our laboratory experiments show that reactive uptake of isoprene epoxydiols on sulfate aerosol is responsible for a decrease in light backscattering compared to pure inorganic sulfate particles of up to – 12% at 355 nm wavelength and – 21% at 532 nm wavelength. Moreover, while such chemistry is known to yield a core–shell structure, the observed reduction in the backscattered light intensity is discussed with Mie core–shell light backscattering numerical simulations. We showed that the observed decrease can only be explained by considering effects from the complex optical refractive index. Since isoprene is the most abundant hydrocarbon emitted into the atmosphere, and isoprene epoxydiols are the most important isoprene secondary organic aerosol precursors, our laboratory findings can aid in quantifying the direct radiative forcing of sulfates in the presence of organic compounds, thus more clearly resolving the impact of such aerosol particles on the Earth's climate. 

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5. A study of optical scattering modelling for mixed-phase polar stratospheric clouds

   https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-419-2023  

   Cairo, Francesco; Deshler, Terry; Di Liberto, Luca; Scoccione, Andrea; Snels, Marcel (January 2023, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques)

   Abstract. Scattering codes are used to study the optical properties of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). Particle backscattering and depolarization coefficients can be computed with available scattering codes once the particle size distribution (PSD) is known and a suitable refractive index is assumed. However, PSCs often appear as external mixtures of supercooled ternary solution (STS) droplets, solid nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) and possibly ice particles, making the assumption of a single refractive index and a single morphology to model the scatterers questionable.Here we consider a set of 15 coincident measurements of PSCs above McMurdo Station, Antarctica, using ground-based lidar, a balloon-borne optical particle counter (OPC) and in situ observations taken by a laser backscattersonde and OPC during four balloon stratospheric flights from Kiruna, Sweden. This unique dataset of microphysical and optical observations allows us to test the performances of optical scattering models when both spherical and aspherical scatterers of different composition and, possibly, shapes are present. We consider particles as STS if their radius is below a certain threshold value Rth and NAT or possibly ice if it is above it. The refractive indices are assumed known from the literature. Mie scattering is used for the STS, assumed spherical. Scattering from NAT particles, considered spheroids of different aspect ratio (AR), is treated with T-matrix results where applicable. The geometric-optics–integral-equation approach is used whenever the particle size parameter is too large to allow for a convergence of the T-matrix method.The parameters Rth and AR of our model have been varied between 0.1 and 2 µm and between 0.3 and 3, respectively, and the calculated backscattering coefficient and depolarization were compared with the observed ones. The best agreement was found for Rth between 0.5 and 0.8 µm and for AR less than 0.55 and greater than 1.5.To further constrain the variability of AR within the identified intervals, we have sought an agreement with the experimental data by varying AR on a case-by-case basis and further optimizing the agreement by a proper choice of AR smaller than 0.55 and greater than 1.5 and Rth within the interval 0.5 and 0.8 µm. The ARs identified in this way cluster around the values 0.5 and 2.5.The comparison of the calculations with the measurements is presented and discussed. The results of this work help to set limits to the variability of the dimensions and asphericity of PSC solid particles, within the limits of applicability of our model based on the T-matrix theory of scattering and on assumptions on a common particle shape in a PSD and a common threshold radius for all the PSDs. 

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