Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

In Situ Measurement Of The Aerosol Size Distribution In Stratospheric Solid Rocket Motor Exhaust Plumes, Martin N. Ross, Philip D. Whitefield, Donald E. Hagen, Alfred R. Hopkins

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The concentration and size distribution of aerosol in the stratospheric exhaust plumes of two Space Shuttle rockets and one Titan IV rocket were measured using a two component aerosol sampling system carried aboard a WB‐57F aircraft. Aerosol size distribution in the 0.01 µm to 4 µm diameter size range was measured using a two component sampling system. The measured distributions display a trimodal form with modes near 0.005 µm, 0.09 µm, and 2.03 µm and are used to infer the relative mass fractionation among the three modes. While the smallest mode has been estimated to contain as much as 10% …